February 2025

Winter is over, so we are summing up the work of the UAnimals team in various areas. In total, we helped approximately 6,220 animals. Here is a brief overview of the key results 👇

🩹 We covered the treatment of 408 animals, sterilized over 330 cats and dogs

🐱 We evacuated two people and 227 animals: cats, dogs, parrots, chickens, a rooster, ducks, doves, goats, cows, and a bull from frontline areas
🐈‍ We handed over 7,296 kilograms of food for over 2,600 animals

🐕 We paid for and delivered quarantine enclosures to four shelters housing evacuated animals: Dimpets in Sumy, Liha Zakhystu Tvaryn Shans in Pavlohrad, Zoohelp in Oleksandriya, and The Right to a New Life in Dnipro

🐕‍🦺 As part of the Vaccines and Treatments for Evacuated Animals project, we purchased 155 comprehensive vaccines for cats and 155 for dogs, as well as antiparasitic treatments
🐯 We took part in a Veterinary Mission in Dobropillia, Donetsk region, where we helped 354 animals. Veterinarians sterilized 160 cats, 144 dogs, and vaccinated and treated 50 more animals. Additionally, we handed out 600 kilograms of food for cats and dogs in Dobropillia

🐮 In collaboration with the Prosecutor General’s Office, we conducted a training session on investigating cases of animal cruelty

🐂 In February, more than 160 volunteers from our community joined in rescuing animals and doing acts of kindness

💶 We spent a total of 5,627,615 hryvnias (~$135,000) on rescuing animals

More details 👇

1. We covered the medical costs of 15 animals as part of the project to treat animals cared for by soldiers.
2. Thanks to partner funds from the Paw of Care project, we funded the treatment of Laika, a dog from Pokrovsk suffering from dirofilariasis. Laika was examined, treated, and, once recovered, was placed in a new home by volunteers.
3. In February, we paid for the sterilization of 26 animals that had been evacuated and placed in shelters.
4. With partner funds from the Paw of Care project, we covered the cost of veterinary services for 354 animals during the February Veterinary Mission to Dobropillia in the Donetsk region. Veterinarians sterilized 160 cats and 144 dogs and vaccinated and treated 50 more animals. We also distributed 600 kilograms of pet food in Dobropillia.

🐾 Additionally, within the Treatment for Critically Ill and Injured Animals fundraising campaign, we covered inpatient treatment, all necessary tests, virus and infection screenings, ultrasound diagnostics, and sterilization for 12 animals👇

1. Baron, a dog with a gunshot wound to the spine, was resuscitated, hospitalized, and given X-rays, tests, and diagnostic laparotomy. Baron was rescued by the military and evacuated by our team from the Donetsk region. Due to his injury, he couldn’t walk and was in great pain. Veterinarians did everything they could, but due to severe trauma, his heart stopped.
2. Anka, a dog evacuated from Kostiantynivka, received wound treatment and pain relief. She had tumors and injuries on her body and face. We brought her to a veterinary clinic in Dnipro, and later, she was placed under the care of Vlada Rudenko in Cherkasy, where she is still being treated.
3. Rudyk, an evacuated kitten suffering from calicivirus, herpes, and panleukopenia, received inpatient care in Dnipro, including wound treatment on his eyes and ears, tests, screenings, and parasite treatments. Once his condition stabilized, he was placed under the care of the Druh shelter in Dnipro.
4. Murka, a cat rescued from Pokrovsk, was diagnosed with ascites (excess fluid accumulation in the abdominal cavity) and remained under medical supervision. After recovery, she was transferred to the Phoenix shelter, as her owner had passed away. Later, Murka found a new family.
5. Takso, a dog we evacuated from Rodynske at the request of volunteers, received inpatient treatment, tests, health screenings, vaccinations, parasite treatments, and neutering. After recovery, Takso found a new home in Kyiv.
6. Knopa and Malysh, two dogs evacuated from Rodynske, received inpatient care, tests, health screenings, vaccinations, and parasite treatments. After treatment, they were reunited with their owners in Dnipro.
7. Teo, a dog evacuated from Kostiantynivka, received a check-up, inpatient treatment, vaccinations, and parasite treatments. After recovery, he was placed with a family in Odesa.
8. Marin and Akta, two cats evacuated from Bilytske, underwent screenings for leukemia and immunodeficiency before being placed in a shelter in Kamianske.
9. Tor, a dog evacuated from Toretsk by the military and transported by us to a veterinary clinic in Dnipro, underwent multiple surgeries to remove tumors in his mouth and throat. We covered the cost of these treatments completely. He was severely malnourished and infested with parasites. After two months of treatment, Tor is still recovering, but he is improving and will be discharged soon!

We also continued helping animals through various projects 👇

1. As part of the Halloween-themed fundraiser Plus a Pumpkin, Minus a Ghost, we purchased 2,180 microchips for sterilized animals.
2. We contributed funds for the construction of ten enclosures at Another Dimension shelter.
3. We paid for and delivered quarantine enclosures to four shelters housing evacuated animals: Dimpets in Sumy, Liha Zakhystu Tvaryn Shans in Pavlohrad, Zoohelp in Oleksandriya, and The Right to a New Life in Dnipro.
4. As part of the Vaccines and Treatments for Evacuated Animals project, we purchased 155 combination vaccines for cats and 155 for dogs, along with parasite treatments.
5. Within the Carriers and Cages for Five Shelters project, we bought 23 cages and 16 carriers for the following shelters: Konotop Animal Protection Organization Animals’ Friends, Favorite Animal, The Right to a New Life, Sluzhba Zakhystu Tvaryn Shans, Zoofamily.
6. As part of the Insulation for Four Animal Shelters project, we transferred funds to two shelters: Bakhmut Protection Society Lada and DimPets.
7. For the Quarantine Module for the Save a Life Shelter project, we provided funding for its construction.

This month, we evacuated two people and 227 animals, the latter including cats, dogs, parrots, chickens, a rooster, ducks, doves, goats, cows, and a bull 🐂

1. Volunteers from Save Animals Ukraine responded to our request and evacuated two dogs: Zhulia, a wounded dog rescued by military medics, and a dog from the village of Kleban-Byk in the Donetsk region. We will pay for the necessary tests and examinations for Zhulia. Unfortunately, doctors now predict that the animal will not be able to walk again. Volunteers took the dog from Kleban-Byk to their shelter in Dnipro for an overnight stay, and later we will transport the animal to a family in Lviv.

The UAnimals rescue team also evacuated 👇

1. Residents of Kostiantynivka and their animals: two parrots and two dogs. The family was relocated to a new home in the Cherkasy region, with the help of volunteer Volodymyr Holubiev and Anna from the UAnimals rescue team. Volodymyr transported the animals in his car — many thanks for the help!
2. 86 animals (2 goats, 53 dogs, and 31 cats) from Bilytske, Rodynske, Kalynivka, Dobropillia, Bilozerske, Lyman, Kostiantynivka, and Kramatorsk in the Donetsk region, as well as Husynka and Barvinkove in the Kharkiv region.
3. 21 dogs and 10 cats from Kostiantynivka, Druzhkivka, Oleksiievo-Druzhkivka, Kramatorsk, and Sloviansk in the Donetsk region.
4. 2 cows, a bull, 40 doves, 22 chickens, a rooster, 23 ducks, 7 cats, and 8 dogs from Hryshyne, Komar, and Novopavlika in the Donetsk region. Their owners could not leave their animals behind, and now, they will be able to leave the frontline settlements.

We also helped transport 👇

1. Rex, a German Shepherd from the Mala Dzyha shelter in Ternopil to his new family. He was previously rescued from Kurakhove.
2. Ice, a cat, from a Kyiv clinic to its owner in the Khmelnytskyi region. He was earlier evacuated from Pokrovsk.
3. Mickey, a dog previously evacuated from Kostiantynivka, from a veterinary clinic to his new home in Kamianets-Podilskyi.

❄️ In February, volunteers actively participated in animal rescue and acts of kindness:

1. 60 volunteers helped clean up the Khortytsia National Reserve, collecting approximately 3 tons of trash.
2. They walked over 180 animals living in 10 shelters, with 77 amazing people joining the initiative.
3. 9 photographers participated in the Photo Day in Shelters campaign, capturing beautiful images of animals in four shelters. Great photos increase animals’ chances of finding a family.
4. Volunteers distributed 220 kilograms of pet food and 70 parasite treatments in the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions.
5. 12 volunteers assisted the Ukrainian Bat Center in Kharkiv by helping feed the bats under its care.
6. Volunteers transported 8 animals, including a dog from Odesa to the Kyiv region, later taken to a new family in the Zhytomyr region; four cats and a dog from a Kyiv clinic back home after treatment; a cat and a dog from a Kyiv veterinary clinic to shelters.
7. We also appreciate our volunteers’ involvement in organizing and running the UAnimals Media Reading Club in Lviv and  a prosecutor training session in Kyiv.
8. Moreover, our volunteers took part in online activities and spread the word about our fundraisers, which helped to speed up the collection of donations and help animals in various areas. The community constantly supports our collections on social media and helps us reach our goal as soon as possible.

🙏 We continued our work in animal rights protection:

1. Together with the Prosecutor General’s Office, we conducted a training session on investigating cases of animal cruelty. Over two days, prosecutors and investigators attended lectures and analyzed cases with Ukrainian and international lawyers. The sessions covered the specifics of investigative procedures and forensic examinations in animal cruelty cases.
2. We joined an international coalition of organizations that protect animals through legal mechanisms and advocacy.
3. In February, UAnimals’ legal team processed 40 requests and provided consultations to 37 people, taking on 2 cases for further consideration. Most requests came from Dnipro and Lviv, with people primarily seeking advice on animal cruelty cases.

❗️ In January, our lawyers filed reports on administrative and criminal offenses and submitted appeals to local authorities:

1. We received numerous social media reports about a case in Zaporizhzhia, where three minors beat a dog to death and set it on fire. Our legal team filed a police report, provided consultations to local volunteers, and a pre-trial investigation into animal cruelty was initiated.
2. A volunteer from the village of Chabany in the Kyiv region reached out to us. She recorded a man beating and hanging a chained dog in his yard. Our lawyers filed a police report concerning animal abuse, and law enforcement rescued the dog and transferred it to a shelter pending a court decision. The case is now in court, and if the perpetrator is found guilty, the dog will be confiscated, and the man will be fined 3,400–5,100 hryvnias (~$82-123).
3. Our chatbot received reports of animal cruelty at the Oscar dolphinarium in Truskavets. According to social media and public sources, the dolphinarium forces Black Sea bottlenose dolphins to perform circus tricks and carry visitors in boats, which causes physical and psychological harm to the dolphins. We prepared a legal complaint to verify the facts and file an administrative case for animal cruelty.
4. Our chatbot received a report indicating that a pet store in Izmail was keeping animals in tiny glass enclosures and boxes, and sick cats and dogs were not receiving treatment. The police ignored the whistleblower’s previous complaints, so our lawyers offered her advice and prepared a legal complaint about animal cruelty, along with requests to government agencies to investigate the legality of the business keeping these animals.

🤝 Updates on previous legal actions and responses from authorities:

1. In February, journalists from Kramatorsk Post reported on a man keeping over 200 goats in horrific conditions — the animals were malnourished, sick, and dying. Our lawyers filed a criminal complaint with the police, requesting the case be added to the Unified Register of Pre-trial Investigations and calling for an investigation to hold the perpetrator accountable and rescue the animals.
2. We received a response from the State Consumer Protection Service, stating that the owner cannot be held liable for violating veterinary and sanitary regulations. However, the UAnimals complaint was forwarded to the police for further action.
3. We received a response from the police confirming that an administrative offense protocol for animal cruelty had been drawn up and that the case had been sent to court. We are awaiting the hearing.
4. We also received a response from Oles Honchar Dnipro National University regarding the crocodile housed in the university’s Aquarium Science and Research Complex. The institution stated that all legal requirements for keeping a wild animal are being met and that the conditions comply with the Regulations on the Keeping and Breeding of Wild Animals in Captivity or Semi-Free Conditions.

Our lawyers are still waiting for responses from the police and the State Environmental Inspectorate regarding the complaint review’s results.

📌 Prior to that, in January, our legal team filed a police complaint about the poor living conditions of the crocodile at Oles Honchar Dnipro National University. The animal is forced to live in a small enclosure with barely any water.

❤️ Thank you for supporting UAnimals and helping to spread kindness and compassion. More to come! 🚀