Pets and stray animals were evacuated to Ukrainian-controlled territory alongside residents of occupied Oleshky, which has been gripped by a humanitarian crisis.
Source: UAnimals, a Ukrainian animal rescue and welfare organisation, in a comment to Ukrainska Pravda. Zhyttia (Life).
Details: UAnimals reported that specialists are examining the cats and dogs to assess their condition. Although no owners have yet collected their pets, some have already contacted the organisation to ask about them.
The organisation said it began making arrangements to help the animals a day before they were evacuated from Oleshky. The organisation did not know exactly how many animals to expect, what species they were or what condition they were in, so it was "preparing for various scenarios". Screenshot
Quote: "We made arrangements for wild animals to be transferred to a rehabilitation centre and for pets to undergo veterinary examinations before being placed in shelters if necessary.
We coordinated with veterinary clinics and shelters and prepared food, water, cages, pet carriers and other essentials."
Details: Two UAnimals teams, comprising four staff members and a vet, set off to meet the buses carrying the evacuees and their animals.
After the convoys crossed the border from Belarus, the dogs and cats were collected and taken to a veterinary clinic.
The latest figures show that more dogs than cats were evacuated. All the animals are now receiving the care and food they need.
Quote: "All the animals have been settled in and given food and water. Vets began examining them today. All are alive, although some are weak. We'll be able to provide more details about their health and the care they need once the examinations are complete.
We've already counted the animals and drawn up a list. The next step is to digitise the records for each animal so that we can work with the human rights commissioner's office to reunite those who have families with their owners."
Details: The organisation does not yet know exactly how many animals have been evacuated, as more are still arriving after their owners took them along to hospital.
Quote: "This is a complex humanitarian operation: new information continues to arrive and we're taking it into account in our further work. We will share details about the condition of the animals and assistance provided to them on our social media pages."
Read more: Oleshky under siege: a city where people eat grass, hide bodies in a hospital basement and wait for an evacuation that never comes
Background: On 31 October, the mission to evacuate the residents of Oleshky concluded . Evacuees were transported by bus from the occupied city, then flown to Belarus before reaching Ukrainian-controlled territory. Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraine's Parliamentary Commissioner for Human Rights, reported that residents took their animals with them during the evacuation, including dogs, cats, a parrot and even a raccoon. A specially equipped vehicle with cages was brought in to transport them. The oldest person evacuated from Oleshky is 94 and the youngest is just over a year old. The evacuees came not only from Oleshky but also from neighbouring settlements. They sang Ukraine's national anthem on the buses.
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