Kyiv Friends praise animal rescue volunteers
Friends have highlighted the bravery of those working to protect human and animal life in Ukraine
Quakers in Kyiv have highlighted the bravery of volunteers working to protect human and animal life in Ukraine. The Friends shared a picture on social media of a young volunteer rescuing cats from an area under immediate threat of destruction from bombs and shells, as Russian forces advance near the frontlines in Ukraine.
‘Her act – like those of so many Ukrainian volunteers – speaks to unparalleled bravery and profound compassion that has become emblematic of virtue in a war-torn land,’ Quakers in Kyiv wrote on their Facebook page, calling for peace. ‘With incredible selflessness, these volunteers and Ukraine’s many international friends risk their lives to protect the innocent, including people, children, domestic and even wild animals who now face mortal danger.’
The woman’s actions go beyond ‘simple kindness’, the Friends wrote. Instead, they are symbols of ‘resilience and hope, inspiring people around the globe since February 2022’.
Volunteers in Ukraine have played an important role since Russia’s invasion in 2022, filling gaps when government systems fall short. According to one volunteer, Madison Tuff, writing in the National Post, the groups have ‘nearly perfected’ emergency responses that can respond immediately to even minor changes on the frontline. ‘They work for days to move people, usually the elderly, and animals out of the path of war. Often, these groups are true grassroots efforts started by young tech workers, creatives, ex-military personnel or veteran first responders, local outdoorsmen and professional drivers.’
‘It’s rare to see large western NGOs with significant budgets actively participating in emergency response,’ she goes on. ‘Instead, you’ll usually find rag-tag groups of young Ukrainians and foreigners in secondhand body armour, driving old cars through rough roads and spending their own money to save lives.’
Other volunteer organisations have been coordinating daily rescues of pets, farm and zoo animals, transporting thousands of animals to EU countries despite the lack of safe evacuation routes. These include the Polish Centaurus Foundation, the Ukrainian Equestrian Federation, and the Lviv animal shelter.
While the number of animals evacuated or killed is hard to verify, there are nearly four million internally-displaced people in Ukraine (as of November 2024), according to the UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency. There have been 6.8 million refugees from Ukraine recorded globally.
