Animal Aid During Global Conflicts
During times of war, dogs, cats, donkeys and horses are often the helpless, voiceless victims, discarded as people flee and injured as bombs fall. Network for Animals exists to be a lifeline to animals during these crises, delivering life-saving aid and evacuating as many four-legged souls as we can. Here is how your support is enabling us to reach animals in war zones around the world.
Israel-Hamas-Hezbollah-Lebanon Conflict
Left without food or shelter
In October 2023, violent conflict broke out after Hamas attacked Israel, and animals were abandoned as rockets struck and people fled for their lives. We knew that countless injured, terrified and forgotten animals would need our immediate help. We teamed up with fearless organizations on the ground – Let The Animals Live (LTAL) and our long-term partner Starting Over Sanctuary (SOS) in Israel, and Sulala Animal Rescue (SAR) and Animal Environment Association (AEA) in Palestine – to rush critical aid to animal war victims.
In a heartwarming example of what we can achieve when we work together, we were able to rehome 10 abused dogs from Palestine to their forever homes in the United States, helping to fund their relocation so they could live out the rest of their lives in safety.
In January 2025, Israel and Hamas agreed to a ceasefire, bringing a pause to fighting in Gaza. This opened a vital window of opportunity for us and our partner, Starting Over Sanctuary (SOS) in Israel, to evacuate as many animals as possible. During the ceasefire, we supported the rescue of 31 donkeys and 29 cats from Gaza, while also contributing towards food and medical care.
We remain committed to supporting war-affected animals in the Middle East and will continue our efforts with help from our supporters.
Despite donations drying up even as food and vet costs skyrocketed, our partners never stop saving lives. This caused a crisis for AEA, as the team was inundated with animals in need and quickly running out of funds. To ease AEA’s financial burden while giving war-torn animals a second chance at a safe and happy life, we secured new homes in the United States for four dogs and two cats, flying them to safety in April 2025.
Ukraine War
Vulnerable dogs and cats of Ukraine.
In 2022, Russia initiated a brutal military invasion of Ukraine, sparking a devastating conflict that continues to affect countless people and animals in the region. Network for Animals was one of the first animal welfare organizations on the ground, and we remain dedicated to providing emergency aid to innocent, four-legged victims amid this ongoing crisis.
Your donations are used to provide critically needed food, shelter, medications and vital veterinary care for the vulnerable dogs and cats of Ukraine. At the time of writing, we are actively working with four partners on the ground in Ukraine to reach animal war victims in desperate need.
Animal Rescue Kharkiv (ARK)
ARK rescues animals from the frontline. Most of the animals it saves are dogs and cats, but it has also rescued 70 goats, 40 sheep, 10 horses, some rabbits, chickens, ducks and a pregnant donkey.
It has a cat haven in Kharkiv where volunteers care for 236 cats rescued from the war zone, with only one vet to care for them.
When all five of ARK’s vehicles were rendered inoperable because of the war, NFA provided funds for a new animal ambulance.
Over the course of the war, the frontline crept closer and closer to ARK, and in March 2025, a Russian drone strike laid waste to the shelter, leaving 381 animals at risk. Thanks to our supporters, we rushed emergency funds to repair the fences and other enclosures destroyed by the missile strike, ensuring the animals’ survival.
The very next month, more tragedy struck when an enemy drone targeted a crucial animal ambulance – the very same vehicle we had purchased in 2024. While the enemy did not secure a direct hit, the missile exploded close by, causing serious damage. Luckily, the animals and our team members were safe, but the vehicle’s gearbox and gas tank were destroyed. We ensured the ambulance was repaired and back on the road as soon as possible, and it is still saving animals from the war zone today.
Pluriton
Our longest-term partner in Ukraine is Pluriton, which started as a pet food manufacturer in Khmelnytskyi. Now, they rescue animals from the frontline using a vehicle we purchased for them, while distributing crucial pet food in extremely dangerous areas that have been hit hardest.
The Pluriton shelter presently has two horses, 25 dogs, 11 pigs, six donkeys, a llama, a goat and a duck.
It is now building a shelter with capacity for about 100 animals near Dnipro, but Russian advances have placed this on hold.
There are so many displaced animals – both domestic and wild – who have nowhere to go. They would also like to complete an on-site clinic.
It is renting land for the shelter, but like so many other animal welfare organizations in Ukraine, it is struggling because donations are dropping.
Pluriton receives between 100-200 animals every month, providing them with food, medicines, veterinary care and supplies.
We will continue to support Pluriton as they work to expand their facilities to enable them to rescue even more animal victims.
Pavlina Harasym
Dr Pavlina Harasym, a veterinarian based in Lviv, risks her life to rescue animals from the war zone, saving lives while bullets fly and bombs explode around her. A Russian sniper even tried to kill her while she was operating on a cat rescued from a bombed-out building. She kept working and saved the cat. To support her incredible work, we purchased an animal ambulance to help her save even more lives, and provide funds to feed the animals she rescues.
