Mission Kherson + Balta
Together with the German animal welfare foundation Tiernothilfe Ukraine e.V., we completed another sterilization mission.
This time it was Kherson + Balta.
NUMBERS
During the May mission we
✅ raised more than 120 000 UAH. Thank you very much for each donation!
✅ sterilized 407 animals and vaccinated 600+
✅ found homes for 34 dogs and 40 Chornobaiv puppies (actually, not all of them have been adopted yet, but we are in the process)
✅ gave out consultations on treatment – an uncounted number of times
✅ distributed and delivered 7 tons of food for dogs and cats – mainly to animal volunteers and local shelters, but about 1.5 tons were distributed to people who had nothing to feed their animals.
PEOPLE
The people of Kherson – those who stayed in the city under constant shelling, often because they had no one to leave the animals they had taken on – we are grateful and respectful to you beyond words.
The local volunteers who helped us catch dogs every day under constant shelling are heroes, there is no exaggeration.
Our mission and Kherson have absolutely common values – to stand on the side of animals in human-animal interaction and help people find a common language with them.
ANIMALS
- Belyashka. She was thrown away as a puppy at the beginning of the war. When she was very young, she gave birth to 10 puppies, and the next day they were all poisoned. Then she lost her hearing during the shelling, was sick for a long time, and was fed by a very good woman who could not take Belyashka to her. Belyashka did not approach people, she was afraid of everything in the world, and we caught her only with sleeping pills. Our doctors diagnosed her with sarcoma. We took her with us, and now she is ALREADY IN THE FAMILY, she is loved to pieces, and is undergoing treatment. She began to bark, caress, and sleep on her own bed.
- An old Chihuahua, 10 years old. Also thrown away during the war, she was scavenging in garbage bins, half-blind. She lived at a car wash, where she was fed. We took her with us, and now she is in a family, sleeping on pillows.
- A lonely Labrador of 10 years, an abandoned retriever of 2.5 years, a venerable Sharpei of 5 years… There are many of them. Many abandoned former pets, many whose owners were killed by the war. A lot of those who were not wanted at all – newborn puppies, because war always leads to uncontrolled reproduction. The animals listed here are in the shelter, waiting for adoption.
- We took 40 Chornobaiv puppies the day before we arrived at that place, the day before the death of 9 rescuers. Tomorrow we will take pictures of 9 of the puppies, and I will write about them, because each one needs a family.
- I did not see any aggressive animals in Kherson. This does not mean that they do not exist, but I did not see them. Only gentle cats capable of only love. And fear.
- In one house, the owners who left for “3 days” left 3 dogs and 4 cats. Today there are 30 cats (including kittens) and 7 dogs. We caught and sterilized some of them. A local volunteer takes care of them, climbing over the fence to feed the flock. There are dozens of holes in the small yard because the energy needs to be used somewhere, and the animals go crazy without being walked in a confined space.
- For every Kherson resident, there are at least 10 animals that he or she feeds or constantly feeds.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
To our team. The team consists of two parts – the team of Tiernothilfe Ukraine e.V. and our volunteer team of the 12 Sentinels Foundation.
We are grateful for the help of the NGO City of Strength: they brought armor, provided logistics, were in touch 24/7, solved any difficult issues, and brought us lunches.
We would like to thank our partners Save Pets of Ukraine, U-Hearts Foundation, Nova Ukraine, Zhyttelyub for food, carriers and cages, a bunch of beautiful beds and other animal products, and feeders from Suzirya.
Once again, we thank Work.ua for the White Bird (our car) and the fuel it needs to run.
We thank the Gostiny Dvor Non-Stop hotel on Mykolaiv Highway.
Сooperation with the Kherson administration
On cooperation with the Kherson administration, including the military
Marina Malakhova, the head of the State Consumer Service, not only provided the clinic and all the staff, but also rabies vaccines.
“Marina, thank you very much for the well-organized team, for the perfect clinic, for the 24/7 communication and assistance, for your concern for us.
For the clear rules that really work for you.
We are very grateful to you and the team.
Mayor Roman Mrochko’s team – thank you for the timely garbage collection, for helping with the collection machines, and for your quick interaction.
PHOTO REPORT
