87 Evacuated Pets from Oleshky Reach Ukrainian Clinics
UAnimals is treating cats, dogs, and other animals that arrived injured and exhausted after being brought out of the occupied city.
By Javier Sanders ·
Eighty-seven animals from the temporarily occupied city of Oleshky are currently under the care of the animal rights group UAnimals.
The cats and dogs arrived in Ukrainian controlled territory in poor condition. Many were exhausted, frightened, and dirty, with some suffering concussions or showing signs of suspected tumours. The UAnimals team met the animals at night after their journey, moved them into special transport vehicles, and delivered them to veterinary facilities.
Resident evacuees often travelled by bus with their pets and proceeded directly to hospitals. UAnimals collected most of the animals on November 1 and 2 to provide them with separate medical check-ups. Anastasiia Heichuk, head of the rescue department at UAnimals, described the uncertainty felt by owners in hospital wards.
"When I entered the wards, the first thing people asked was where their animals were," Heichuk said. "They didn't yet know if they had arrived, if they were alive, or what condition they were in. For some, I was the first person they could talk to about their animals after arriving."
She noted that residents who left with minimal belongings prioritized finding out about their pets while receiving medical treatment themselves. The animals are now distributed across six veterinary clinics. Care teams are addressing issues ranging from weakness and concussions to dental needs. Some patients are scheduled for further examinations due to suspected tumours or hernias, and one animal is expected to require surgery. Veterinarians are awaiting test results to confirm diagnoses.
UAnimals stated that most of the animals have families and will return home, while others will move to shelters. The organization is covering all care and treatment costs without a dedicated fundraiser, though supporters can contribute through donations or its Animal Rescuers Club. The evacuation of Oleshky residents ended on October 31, with people taken by bus to Belarus and then crossing the border in Chernihiv Oblast. Dmytro Lubinets, the Ukrainian Parliamentary Commissioner for Human Rights, confirmed that evacuees brought dogs, cats, a parrot, and a raccoon, with special caged transport arranged for them.
