When K9 Rescue International first began exploring the possibility of a large-scale sterilization programme in the frontline city of Kramatorsk in September 2025, there was one simple question:

Could it be done?

Located just 10 miles from active fighting in eastern Ukraine, Kramatorsk faces enormous challenges. Veterinary services are limited, many families cannot afford sterilization, and thousands of stray and abandoned dogs roam the streets. Yet despite the need, large-scale sterilization campaigns had been largely absent from the city.

To test whether a sustainable programme was possible, K9 Rescue International funded and coordinated an initial pilot campaign together with our veterinary partners, Доступна Стерилізація (Affordable Sterilization), and local volunteers on the ground.

The results exceeded expectations.

During that first mission, 115 female dogs were sterilized, proving that with the right veterinary team, local support network, and logistical planning, meaningful population management work could be delivered even in a frontline city.

Encouraged by the success of this pilot project, we developed a larger programme for 2026.

Phase One – January 2026

Thanks to the generous support of the Jean Sainsbury Animal Welfare Trust, the first phase of our Kramatorsk CNVR (Catch-Neuter-Vaccinate-Return) campaign took place in January 2026.

Despite freezing temperatures, air raid alerts, and the ever-present threat of drone attacks, the team successfully sterilized:

• 134 owned female dogs
• 48 free-roaming female dogs

Total: 182 female dogs sterilized

Many of the free-roaming dogs required humane remote darting prior to surgery to ensure safe handling and treatment.

The campaign demonstrated both the scale of the need and the willingness of local communities to engage with sterilization as a long-term solution.

Phase Two – end March 2026

The second and final phase of the programme took place in April 2026.

Working in a city just 10 miles from active fighting, our veterinary partners completed a further four-day field mission, sterilizing:

• 143 owned female dogs
• 76 free-roaming female dogs

Total: 219 female dogs sterilized

The team also travelled to the neighbouring frontline city of Sloviansk, where 16 female dogs were caught and brought forward for sterilization, as well as the nearby village of Cherkas’ke, where a further 8 female dogs were treated.

As with the January campaign, many of the dogs could not be safely handled and required humane remote darting before surgery.

🎥 Watch the video highlights of this latest sterilization event in this devastated frontline city 👇

The Results

Across all three Kramatorsk missions, K9 Rescue International has now helped facilitate the sterilization of:

516 female dogs

Including:

• 115 dogs during the September 2025 pilot campaign
• 182 dogs during the January 2026 campaign
• 219 dogs during the March 2026 campaign

A total of 124 dogs required humane darting for safe capture and treatment during the two major 2026 field missions.

Based on accepted dog population management models, these 516 sterilizations will prevent an estimated 6,000+ puppies from being born over the coming year alone.

That represents thousands of animals spared a future of hunger, disease, abandonment, and suffering.

Why Sterilization Matters

In countries where affordable veterinary care is scarce and shelter capacity is limited, the majority of stray dogs begin life as unwanted puppies born to unsterilized owned dogs.

Many families keep dogs as property guardians but cannot afford sterilization. Unwanted litters are frequently abandoned, contributing to growing stray populations and placing enormous pressure on local communities and rescuers.

This is why our campaigns focus heavily on female dogs of breeding age.

By preventing litters before they are born, sterilization addresses the root cause of the problem rather than simply responding to its consequences.

Sterilization prevents the cycle of suffering before it begins.

A Wider Impact

While the direct impact of these campaigns is significant, one of the most encouraging outcomes has been what happened next.

When K9 Rescue International funded the initial pilot project in September 2025, large-scale sterilization services were largely unavailable in Kramatorsk despite the urgent need.

Our goal was not only to help dogs immediately, but to demonstrate what could be achieved if the right veterinary team, local volunteers, and logistical support could be brought together.

Following the success of these early campaigns, our veterinary partners at Доступна Стерилізація have since been contracted by both Happy Paw and UAnimals to undertake additional sterilization work in the region.

For us, this represents one of the most meaningful measures of success.

As a small charity, we know we cannot solve every problem alone. Throughout our twenty years of rescue work, our approach has always been to lead by example, demonstrate what is possible, and create models that others can replicate and expand.

In many ways, our role is that of an innovator and catalyst.

We identify overlooked areas, establish practical solutions, bring together the right people, and help create momentum that larger organisations can build upon.

Seeing other major animal welfare organisations now investing in sterilization work in Kramatorsk is exactly the outcome we hoped for when we first launched our pilot campaign.

Looking Ahead

With large-scale sterilization now gaining traction in Kramatorsk, we hope to focus our attention on other frontline communities where animals remain underserved and access to veterinary care is still extremely limited.

The need across Ukraine remains enormous.

But the success of Kramatorsk demonstrates that even in a city on the frontline, lasting change is possible.

One dog at a time.
One community at a time.
One city at a time.

And sometimes, by showing what can be achieved, many others follow.

With Thanks

K9 Rescue International would like to thank the Jean Sainsbury Animal Welfare Trust, our veterinary partners at Доступна Стерилізація (Affordable Sterilization), and the dedicated local volunteers and community members who made these campaigns possible.

Together, we are creating a more humane future for Ukraine’s dogs.

If you would like to help support future sterilization missions in frontline communities, your support can directly fund veterinary care, equipment, and lifesaving surgeries for animals who would otherwise be forgotten.

Together, we can continue stopping suffering before it begins. 🐾

👉 Donate here to help the next sterilization campaign: