“The grant was used to help fund a delivery, including the associated transport costs, of 20.4 tonnes of food to feed thousands of dogs and cats living within Odessa, Ukraine. This delivery was in September 2022 and was distributed by over 400 brave volunteers who risk their lives daily to care for the hungry and terrified animals living within active warzones.

Soi Dog’s partner organisation continues to have a close relationship with CAN2000, a Romanian pet food manufacturer, who consistently provide large quantities of food that is very palatable for cats and dogs. They then work with a transportation company that employs Ukrainian drivers who have permits to travel between Ukraine and Romania, know the territory well, and efficiently transport pet food to our partners in Ukraine.

Many of the innocent animals being fed have been abandoned by their fleeing owners. Animals like Akella, a young dog whose owners had fled and left him tied to a tree. As our feeders in Odessa reported:

 “He was tied in a forest with a leash in an area where there were no people at all.”  Time was running out for Akella and he would have surely died in just a couple of days.   

However, he was very fortunate. Our partner said, “Luckily, a man who was walking in that area saw him and untied him. I took him to my shelter in extreme exhaustion and malnutrition. He needs medication to fully recover!” When Akella was rescued, he could barely stand up. He has since gained weight and he has a good chance of surviving, but he will need a lot of medical treatment and dedicated care.  

Because of invaluable support like the Jean Sainsbury Animal Welfare has shown, our partners and volunteers across Ukraine are helping as many animals as they possibly can”

To see more about Soi Dogs please click here.