As bombs echoed in the distance, Mykola and his wife Iryna scrambled through the damaged streets and skeletons of residential homes to feed animals still living in Pokrovsk. Surrounded by devastation, they became the only lifeline for the desperate animals who had no one else.

But as more and more of the once-bustling city became an active battlefield, the compassionate couple knew they couldn’t keep the animals safe. They asked Animal Rescue Kharkiv for help evacuating the many dogs and cats from the war-torn area.

With support from PETA’s Global Compassion Fund, Animal Rescue Kharkiv rushed to help. Rescuers entered abandoned houses and coaxed terrified puppies from the rubble—they had lived their entire lives in the warzone. Iryna managed to grab hold of a cat just before an explosive detonated nearby, and she clung to the panicked feline as the boom sounded. Despite the danger, the team worked tirelessly to reach as many animals as possible.

By the end of the day, the rescuers had loaded 16 dogs and cats into the rescue vehicle. The ARK team started to drive back to Kharkiv, but the danger wasn’t over.

Beep-beep-beep! Suddenly, the drone defense system—financed by PETA’s Global Compassion Fund—sounded an urgent warning. Several shrill, fast beeps signaled the presence of nearby, high-risk danger. The truck driver, Maxym, acted fast. He shot the hostile drone out of the sky before it could pelt the van with a spray of bullets.

Without the drone defense system, the team and the animals would likely not have survived the attack.

ARK’s New PEACE Sanctuary

Now, all 16 animals are safe at ARK’s shelter, where they can recover while waiting for families to adopt them. The ARK team is currently tirelessly working on a new Sanctuary where all of the animals can safely heal. Soon, the PEACE Sanctuary will have a veterinary area, a heated room for sick dogs to recover in, and a ward for cats with contagious diseases. ARK hopes to have the project completed by Fall 2025.

Although it is not finished, the sanctuary is already home to hundreds of animal refugees. Nearly a hundred dogs are transported to the sanctuary every week, and they love all the space they have to frolic in. By the end of May, the sanctuary will be a haven for 1,000 dogs, each one a survivor of war, now given a second chance at life.

You Can Help More Animals Escape War

These rescues are only possible thanks to people like you. When you give to PETA’s Global Compassion Fund, you’re sending help directly into war zones. Your gift helps PETA entities and partners create positive, sustainable changes in corners of the Earth where animals desperately need assistance and may have no other hope.

Your generous support has already helped save more than 24,000 animals from hunger, terror, and certain death since the war began. Donate now to keep the rescues going and finish building PEACE Sanctuary.