General Discussion

Omaha Steve

(99,581 posts) Sat Sep 13, 2014, 10:46 PM Sep 2014

Extreme Bravery from the Women Saving Ukraine’s Dogs of War

http://www.care2.com/causes/extreme-bravery-from-the-women-saving-ukraines-dogs-of-war.html

by Laura SimpsonSeptember 11, 20145:30 pm

Cars have been streaming in a single direction away from the Ukrainian city of Donetsk as families try to get far, far away from this hot spot seized by Pro-Russian separatists. Many of the exiting cars are using trailers to pull coffins as terrified residents flee with all that is most precious to them. Yet not everyone is bringing their pets along, and a small group of brave women are staying behind because they alone must care for the dogs of war.

At the animal shelter here in Donetsk, icy fear hangs like a spider web across the grounds. Waves of silence are broken by a thunderous barking as the dogs respond to the sound of machine gun fire and artillery falling in the city. The teary-eyed women here are fighting flashbacks of the moments when they said goodbye to their family and friends who recently fled this once-thriving center of cultural and economic abundance.

To make matters worse, the tenacious truce between the Ukrainian government and pro-Russian rebels began last Friday evening, but by Saturday both sides were already claiming the other broke the agreement. By Sunday, the fight was back on.

The animal shelter in Donetsk is extremely vulnerable now. Shelter caregivers sacrifice their own safety to protect the dogs and cats.

Fearing that the worst is not yet over, there has been a mass exodus from Ukraine’s most besieged cities. But there are more than 800 dogs and cats within the walls of the shelter in Donetsk alone and someone must stay to care for them. In a makeshift medical area, medicine is given to a young dog who suffered a stroke when a bomb went off beside him. A handful of women are quickly peeling a donation of potatoes that have just arrived in the back of a pickup truck. They’ll cook the meal in giant pots and serve the warm treat to all the dogs. The remaining workers are on their knees cleaning and cleaning and cleaning. The women used to sing while they worked, but no more.

Human Refugees Living At Animal Shelter

FULL story at link.