WE SAVE ANIMALS
FROM THE WAR

UAnimals organizes the evacuation of domestic, wild, and stray animals from the combat zone and frontline areas.

Evacuation in numbers

Animals have been successfully evacuated since the start of the full-scale war

> 10 382

animals

Why does UAnimals take part in animal evacuation?

With the start of the full-scale invasion, the number of stray animals in Ukraine has risen sharply, especially in frontline areas. It is difficult to collect statistics, but the scale of the problem is enormous.

Animals are left unattended and uncared for due to various reasons: some people evacuate without being able to take their animals with them, while others are killed during shelling. Abandoned animals suffer from hunger and disease, reproduce uncontrollably, and are threatened by russian attacks.

Often, it is soldiers who find these animals, care for them, and contact us for help with evacuation. Abandoned animals are also cared for by compassionate people who, despite the risks, remain in frontline towns and villages. We receive dozens of evacuation requests every day.

That’s why UAnimals evacuates cats, dogs, tigers, lions, camels, horses, cows, raccoons, wolves, donkeys, porcupines, lemurs, sheep, and other animals from dangerous areas. We value every life and rescue animals regardless of their species, size, or breed.

Buy a virtual ticket to "join" the evacuation trip with UAnimals

*We will add the money for the "ticket" to the fundraising amount, and you will receive a confirmation that you are symbolically "joining" the animal rescue trip. You will not go to dangerous places.

3 usd

Buy a ticket

Stories of the saved animals

Lypka, a cow from the Sumy region, grew up and grew old alongside people who loved her very much. But because of the proximity of the contact line, the family had to leave and look for ways to evacuate their animal. We transported Lypka to a shelter in the Poltava region, where she is well cared for and given love and attention.

A little wild boar named Pumba miraculously escaped the fate of becoming prey during a hunt. During one of our trips to the Donetsk region, our team persuaded people to hand him over, and by evening he was already at Animal House Rescue in the Poltava region. At first, Pumba couldn’t even stand on his hind legs, but care and treatment helped — now he runs, cuddles, gets jealous, and rejoices. And, as the shelter staff say, Pumba thinks he is a dog because he even runs after people and waits for food by his bowl.

A dog named Vickie was found near the highway in Dobropillia with a paw almost torn off, probably after an accident. Volunteers asked us for help, and during an evacuation trip in early September 2025, we took the animal in. At a clinic in Dnipro, vets amputated the damaged paw, and an MRI later revealed an injury to her cervical vertebrae. Vickie is now wearing a special corset and undergoing long-term treatment that gives her a chance at a life without pain.

80 pigeons from Novopavlivka, along with 15 chickens, 10 ducks, 7 cats, 3 dogs, and even two cows with a newborn calf, were taken to a safe place. It was impossible to stay in their home village as shelling became increasingly frequent. The UAnimals team helped transport the entire farm to a new home in the Poltava region. Now they are all in a safe place.

We evacuated Pasha and Tolia from the Western Donbas mine in the Dnipropetrovsk region in July 2023. The dogs were always together and even chewed on bones together. After evacuation, the brothers were taken in by Sumy Animal Home, which spent over a year looking for a family for them. And finally, one was found — abroad. Now Pasha and Tolia have caring people and their own sofa, and their happy faces speak for themselves.

A dog named Morty was left alone in Dobropillia in the Donetsk region — his people evacuated and weighed down his leash with a stone. The blind and deaf Yorkie with serious illnesses was doomed to die. Fortunately, he was noticed by animal volunteer Viktoriia Zhydkova, and we helped with his treatment at a veterinary clinic. Morty has now been discharged and continues treatment under the supervision of Dogs Adopt Kyiv NGO shelter.

I need help with animal evacuation, what should i do?

The UAnimals team can help evacuate animals from frontline areas. To submit a request, go to our bot @help_uanimals_bot. After a quick registration, you will see a menu where you can submit a request for animal evacuation. Managers will review your request and contact you promptly.

Please note! Due to the large number of requests and the queue, we are currently forced to temporarily suspend accepting new applications for animal evacuation. Our team continues to work with the requests we have already received, primarily in areas where the situation is most dangerous. As soon as we are able to accept new requests, we will announce it on our website, in our chatbot, and on our official social media pages.

Please note that when applications are open, we can only evacuate animals if you can provide them with proper care afterwards — it is important to arrange in advance where the animals will be taken after evacuation. We also reserve the right to reject a request if the final destination is not specified or if the shelter to which the animal is to be transferred has not been verified by us.

Exception — requests from the military: in such cases, we help find temporary accommodation if there is no final address. Please note that you must confirm your status when submitting an application.

FAQ

How to apply for evacuation?

Important: due to the large number of requests, we have temporarily suspended accepting new applications. We are continuing to process the requests we have already received. We will announce the resumption of accepting applications on our website, in our chatbot, and on social media.

When applications are open, you can submit a request for animal evacuation via our chatbot @help_uanimals_bot. Follow the link, complete a short registration form, and select the “Animal Evacuation” option.

When submitting your request, please specify:

The town and region where the animal is located (evacuation is available for Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, and Zaporizhzhia regions).
Your role: military (animals near positions); owner or guardian; person who found the animal (has access to it); person who saw the animal (but does not have access to it); other.
Specify which animals and how many need to be evacuated.
The exact location and landmarks so that the team can find the animal.
The place where the animal will be taken after evacuation (this is a mandatory condition for everyone except the military).
Contact details of the person who will meet the animal after evacuation.
Add photos of the animals that need to be evacuated (if possible).
Any other details that may help during the evacuation.

Important:

When submitting an application, military personnel must confirm their status (in such cases, we can help find temporary accommodation if there is no final address).
We may reject an application if there is no final address for the animal or if the specified shelter has not passed our verification.

After that, managers will process the request and contact you to clarify the details.

Are animals currently being evacuated from the Donetsk region and other areas?

Yes, our team continues to evacuate animals from dangerous regions, including Donetsk Oblast and other combat zones. However, due to the large number of requests, we have temporarily suspended accepting new applications. We continue to work with the requests we have already received and are doing everything possible to provide timely assistance.

We will announce the resumption of accepting new applications on our website, in the chatbot @help_uanimals_bot, and on our social media pages.

How do I know when I can apply for evacuation?

We publish all the latest information about the resumption of applications on the UAnimals website, in the chatbot @help_uanimals_bot, and on our official social media pages.
As soon as we are able to accept requests again, we will announce it immediately. We recommend following our updates — this will help you not to miss the news and quickly submit your application.

Where does UAnimals evacuate animals to?

All animals evacuated by our animal welfare organization go only to verified, reliable shelters or families. Before that, we examine and, if necessary, treat the animals.
UAnimals cooperates with verified partners who adhere to humane standards of animal care and housing. No rescued animal ends up in questionable places or with unknown individuals. We check the shelters and veterinary clinics we work with. You can be sure that the animals are in good hands.

How do you care for animals during evacuation?

During the trip, team members and volunteers transporting animals make regular stops to feed and give them water, and, if necessary, take them to a veterinary clinic for examination or treatment.

Even if a trip lasts several days, we do everything we can to make the animals feel as comfortable as possible during transportation.

Do you evacuate farm animals (cows, goats, horses, etc.)?

Yes, we evacuate all animals: domestic, farm, and wild. You can apply for the evacuation of a cat or dog, as well as a cow, deer, lion, eagle, or any other animal.

Do you evacuate pets together with the people who are leaving?

Usually, UAnimals evacuates only animals, since our team organizes transportation even in difficult conditions where people cannot always accompany their pets.

In some cases, when possible, we help animals leave together with their people.

Why don’t you take all the stray animals you come across on the way during evacuation?

Each of our trips is planned in advance: we receive requests, compile lists, and calculate the number of cages, the amount of pet food, and the available space in the vehicle. There are so many requests for evacuation that they are scheduled months ahead. There is a shortage of space in shelters, so unfortunately, we cannot take all the animals we see along the way.

However, there are exceptions. If there is free space in the vehicle or an animal is in critical condition, we cannot just drive by. In such cases, we look for veterinarians and a shelter for the animal right during the trip, even if it is difficult.

Can I find out where the animal I handed over was evacuated to?

After evacuating stray animals, we transfer them for examination, treatment, vaccination, and spaying/neutering to veterinary clinics in Kyiv, the Kyiv region, Dnipro, Kharkiv, and Kryvyi Rih. If an animal has injuries, tumors, or wounds, they are treated first. While they are under our care, we can provide photos or videos of the animal upon request, and veterinarians can provide information about their condition.

After treatment, we transfer the animals to verified shelters. Photos and videos after discharge are also available upon request. We only provide shelter contact details if you plan to adopt the animal, after prior agreement with a shelter representative.
Animals who have families are returned to the people waiting for them, and we record the moment they are handed over in photos or videos.

How long does evacuation take after submitting an application?

The waiting time for processing an application depends on the team’s workload, the number of requests in progress, and the situation in the area from which the animal needs to be evacuated. On average, evacuation takes from 2–3 days to 2 weeks, but sometimes this period may vary depending on the circumstances.

Can evacuation be refused? For what reasons?

Yes, in some cases we are forced to refuse evacuation — and we always do so only when assistance is truly impossible or dangerous.

We may refuse if:

there is no physical access to the location — the settlement is under active shelling, in a combat zone, or in an area where the military has prohibited passage;
the location where the animal will be transferred after evacuation has not been determined (except for requests from the military);
the shelter where you plan to evacuate the animal has not been verified by UAnimals, and we cannot be sure that the animal will be provided with good conditions of care;
the military personnel have not confirmed their status (in cases where assistance is needed in finding a home for the evacuated animal).