Severely emaciated and badly injured dogs and cats in hard-hit Kharkiv were in urgent need of help. Risking their lives, rescuers got them into Hungary after a high-stress daylong journey, during which the rescue vehicle was hit with shrapnel. Although everyone thankfully made it to safety, this incident serves as a harsh reminder that companion animals and humans in Ukraine are suffering and in danger every day.

While saving these animals, rescue teams received a desperate call from animal welfare workers who needed help with seven traumatized dogs who had spent days traveling in transport boxes, only to be denied admission when they reached the Polish border, even though the guardian of the dogs was present with all the necessary paperwork. PETA Germany immediately rerouted the dogs to the Hungarian border, where they were allowed to cross and spent a few days recovering and receiving veterinary treatment at one of the group’s care stations there, before being moved to a therapy center in Poland.

To help more dogs and cats in need of urgent care while being transported to safety, PETA Germany is expanding several private shelters near the Hungary-Ukraine border. So far, there are now spaces to house more than 300 dogs and cats at a time. All spaces are currently full of animals who are being cared for while waiting out their required quarantine period, and the teams are looking forward to being able to look after even more traumatized animals very soon.