London, UK – We are excited to announce we will be hosting the private screening of “War Tails” scheduled for June in London – a documentary shedding the misconceptions about people taking their animals with them when they fled the War after Russia invaded Ukraine.

This event promises an evening of awareness and advocacy.  Join us on June 4th, 2024 at Genesis Cinema in London’s East End, as we shed light on Ukraine’s Animals in the Crossfire.

We at K9 Rescue International are proud to be included in the making of this documentary and host the screening in the UK.

Exclusive Preview of our War Tails Documentary Film before Official Release

We face a growing catastrophe in Ukraine as animals continue to be abandoned in large numbers. With the evacuations currently happening in the Kharkiv region in readiness for the new Russian offensive, the numbers are set to increase exponentially, posing a major environmental health and animal welfare crisis in the region and beyond.

Dominic Dyer, a political campaigner for animal rights, will be leading an audience debate after our charity screening of “War Tails” on the key takeaway points regarding the animal welfare disaster, discussing together with Peter Egan, Krystina and the team, the potential mass culling of the dogs and what the international community needs to do urgently to prevent the developing animal welfare emergency.

Synopsis

News media highlighted people fleeing the war in Ukraine, showing many taking their pets with them, yet the reality was very different. It’s estimated that over a million pets were abandoned, as many families were forced to leave their animal companions behind after being refused on public transport. Pets were left at bus and train stations, put out on the streets, left to die on chains, or shut in apartments with no one to provide food or water.

The film draws attention to the plight of the animals left to fend for themselves and the growing animal welfare crisis due to misconceptions about what actually happened when people fled their homes. The forthcoming documentary “War Tails” gives a voice to the overlooked victims of the war, focusing attention on the dire situation faced by pets abandoned amidst the chaos of the Russian invasion.

The film, produced by Dan Fine of UWARF in collaboration with various animal welfare organizations currently working in Ukraine, follows Dan and Tana of UWARF as they team up with Krystina Dragomaretska of White Angel Foundation to embark on missions to provide aid to the dogs and cats of Ukraine, working with various animal welfare organisations operating in Ukraine. Through their efforts, over 8,000 animals have been sterilized, vaccinated, and microchipped. “War Tails” aims to highlight the challenges kind-hearted rescuers like Krystina, featured in the film, encounter in managing this crisis and to inspire action and support from communities around the world.

“When the Russians invaded Ukraine, the whole World watched in horror as respectable people were forced to become refugees, yet no one saw the millions of abandoned and displaced animals left behind, fighting to survive amidst the chaos,” explains Michelle Jones, co-founder of K9 Rescue International who are hosting this event in London. “Many are wandering the streets alone in desperate need of help, and the crisis is worsening day by day.”

UWARF, a 501c3 organization, partners with veterinarians, non-profits, and animal shelters in Ukraine to organize missions and facilitate clinics aimed at addressing the needs of abandoned animals. Their work extends to reuniting, rehoming, and sheltering these animals, as well as building technological solutions to track and monitor volunteer efforts.

UWARF and K9 Rescue International hope that attendees of the War Tails Documentary will appreciate the message of the film. As this is a pre-screening event, attendees will be sent a short questionnaire about their experience of the film – this feedback will help the team finalise the documentary in readiness for its official film première.