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 Conflict 🇮🇱 🇵🇸
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.
Dogs, cats, donkeys and other animals had been left without food, shelter or anyone to care for them. Working with emergency rescue teams and brave volunteers, we were able to rush food and supplies to animals trapped in war zones, evacuating as many as we could. As the brutal war wears on, our efforts to feed, shelter and evacuate thousands of animals continues, funded entirely by the compassion and generosity of Network for Animals supporters.
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.
We are continuing to support our partners throughout the conflict. In May 2024, we rushed emergency funds for crucial food and to support emergency evacuations from the war zones.
Ukraine War 🇺🇦 🇷🇺
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 they save are dogs and cats, but at time of writing, they have 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. The cats now live in a converted bomb shelter, where they are so happy the shelter sounds like a purring symphony. We are supporting the cats with food and medical supplies.
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.
Pluriton is now building a shelter with capacity for about 100 animals near Dnipro, because 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.
The shelter presently has two horses, 25 dogs, 11 pigs, six donkeys, a llama, a goat and a duck.
We are continuing 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.
The Animal Guardians Program (AGP)
Anzhela Sheveleva is the coordinator of the Animal Guardians Program (AGP), a project that aims to provide food and veterinary care for thousands of street animals in and around the regions of Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk and Dnipro. The good-hearted ‘guardians’ who assist Anzhela are pensioners (the oldest is 80!), disabled or very poor. They emerge from shelter when there is a lull in the fighting to help animals, often taking numerous cats and dogs into their own homes to care for them.
NFA supports the AGP by covering the cost of pet food, medicine, sterilizations, other emergency veterinary treatments and fuel to transport animals to and from clinics. We have also helped provide the AGP with building materials to repair infrastructure affected by shelling and household items such as refrigerators and water tanks so that the animals can continue to have access to fresh food and water.
Sadly, the Russian troops have occupied the area where Animal Guardians works and we are unable to contact them. We will update the situation when we know more.
NOWZAD
As Russian forces advance and donations dwindle, the NOWZAD-supported animal shelter in Kramatorsk is facing total destruction. With the frontlines a mere 20 miles from the shelter, the proximity to the fighting puts the shelter and the animals we've promised to protect in immediate jeopardy.
Supply lines in conflict-heavy zones are increasingly hard to secure. But with our supporters’ help, we were able to raise emergency funds to rush critically needed food and medical supplies to the countless cats and dogs in their and our other partners’ care.