April 2023 | Video Report by Nick, Field Volunteer – K9 Rescue International

Since the war began, I’ve been on the ground in Ukraine. What started as a personal mission to help wherever I could has grown into something much bigger – something I never could have imagined. Through the chaos, the danger, and the heartbreak, our team at K9 Rescue International has built a network that now reaches across the Donbas and beyond, rescuing wounded and abandoned animals from the frontlines of war.

But rescue alone isn’t enough. That’s why we’ve been running feeding programs alongside our rescue efforts – getting food into the hands of those who stayed behind, so they can care for their beloved animals even in the darkest of times. The joy and relief on their faces, and the wagging tails and purrs of the animals we help – it’s what keeps us going.

From Kherson to Bakhmut, Avdiivka to Kupyansk, and deep into the Kharkiv region, our work takes us through towns that have been completely shattered by war. Driving through these places, you see devastation everywhere – shell-torn buildings, abandoned homes, lives uprooted. And yet, amidst the ruins, there is life. There are animals who have clung to survival, and people who refuse to leave them behind.

The challenges are enormous. Every step of the journey comes with a price – from securing enough funding each month, to sourcing and transporting food across borders, to keeping our vehicles running over punishing roads. Just getting from Lviv to Kyiv is a six-and-a-half-hour drive – and from there, another six hours to Donetsk. These are not easy distances, and they come with real risks.

Being in a war zone means navigating more than broken roads – it means dodging artillery, avoiding tanks, and hearing small arms fire echo through empty streets. I’ve had bullets ricochet near me, stood beside Grad rocket shells still hot to the touch, and felt masonry raining down as shells exploded just 100 meters away.

We once came under fire while trying to catch a limping cat. Three times Russian cannons fired on us while we tried to coax it to safety. That’s the level of risk we face – but it’s also the level of commitment we have. Because those animals are the innocents in all of this. They didn’t choose this war. They’re terrified, alone, and they deserve better.

📽️ Watch the video of Nick’s report out in Ukraine…

And it’s not just about animals – it’s about people, too. In some of the most remote eastern villages, near the Russian border, we meet families who have endured months of occupation and trauma. When we show up – not as soldiers, but as rescuers – they see something they haven’t felt in a long time: hope. And hope is powerful. It’s one of the strongest tools you can carry in a place like this.

So far, with your support, we’ve rescued thousands of animals and delivered hundreds of tons of food. Just the other day, we dropped 110 bags of mixed cat and dog food. But the need continues. Every day, there are more animals to save, more mouths to feed.

We need your help to keep going. It costs around $4,000 a month just to keep two rescue vehicles operational. Every donation helps us keep those wheels turning, get food to those who need it, and bring animals to safety.

Together, we can continue this work. Together, we can make sure no animal is forgotten in this war.

Please donate to K9 Rescue International.
Let’s keep hope alive – one rescue at a time.

Slava Ukraini. Heroiam Slava 💙💛