Channel: The Humane Society of the United States

Category: Nonprofits & Activism

Tags: petshumaneukraine warhumane societycathsusukraineanimalukraine crisisukraniananimalshelp animalsdog

Description: Since the war broke out, Humane Society International has been working on the ground in Poland, Romania, Germany and Italy, helping people with their animals when they got word about a Ukrainian woman named Larysa who was in the U.S. (Arkansas) when the war started. Her cat named Persik (which means Peach in Ukrainian) was in Odessa. Her cousin managed to safely transport Persik from Ukraine to Warsaw, Poland. Kelly Donithan, director of animal disaster response for Humane Society International, was about to head out of Poland to fly home to the U.S.. She connected with Larysa on social media and made plans to bring Persik to Larysa in Arkansas. Donithan explains, “This single story of one cat, Persik, is emblematic of Humane Society International has seen through the chaos and trauma of this war: strangers and communities coming together to help one another however they can, including beloved animals. Larysa nearly lost hope of ever seeing Persik, but someone always jumped in to assist and bring this cat out of the war and ultimately to his mom. I am grateful that I was able to help finally get him home. While incredibly special, this is not a unique story. We are seeing compassion every day across Ukraine, Europe and around the world. It is a painful and horrific time, but all of these small acts of kindness are keeping and bringing families together when they need it most. Even during the darkest times, it is clear how much pets mean to their families.”