When Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, no one could have predicted how long-lasting or far-reaching the repercussions would be. Nor could anyone have fathomed the devastating toll the war had on pets. Pets owners had to leave their cats and dogs behind in droves. While many hoped to return in short order, they were unable due to safety concerns. Days and weeks after their owners left, myriad dogs and cats were still stuck in their homes, helpless behind locked doors. Two Ukrainian veterinarians have made it their mission to save them.
Ukrainian veterinarians rescue hundreds of dogs
Valentina and Leonid Stoyanov are Ukranian veteranarians. For a decade, their specialty was wildlife rescue and exotic pets. From snakes to owls to monkeys, they provided sanctuary to all sorts of unusual animals. They even documented their work on TikTok and Instagram under the “Vet Crew” handle.
But the invasion changed all that. Suddenly, these Ukranian veterinarians found themselves called to help abandoned pets, risking their lives in the process.
“After one, two weeks … neighbors just start hear [sic] how a lot of different animals around them screaming,” Valentina told CNN.
While their family and friends fled Ukraine, the Stoyanovs abandoned their once “simple life” and hunkered down to help animals. They teamed up with local police to save dogs and cats from locked homes. In only a week, they rescued — and began caring for — over 400 pets out of their clinic in Odesa.
“Each animal for us, it’s like members of our family,” Valentina said.
Their clinic is somewhat protected thanks to its location, which is partially underground and surrounded by tall buildings. But it lacked electricity. The couple had to hustle to find a generator so they could warm their reptiles and keep the lights on.
But their work didn’t stop there. The Stoyanovs bought and distributed massive amounts of dog and cat food to nearby animal shelters. They donned body armor and traveled to the front lines to feed and vaccinate dogs.
“Russian army a lot of times shooting our car and they bombed it. And one time they missed (by) maybe ten meters. And we have a lot of holes in our car,” Leonid told CNN.
Unfortunately, abandoned pets weren’t the only ones in need of care. During the tumultuous year, Leonid had a heart attack and, for several minutes, was clinically dead. Thankfully, medical personnel revived him.
“They say, “You have a lot of animals. You need to (be) here,” he told CNN.
One implant and a pacemaker later and he is now “physically normal.”
On a mission to ease the suffering of dogs
The Stoyanovs strive to rehome all the animals they rescue, but that’s not always possible. Sometimes, the couple has to open their own home to animals. In one such instance, they adopted a blind Husky, Casper, from a Ukrainian soldier who could not care for him because he was off fighting the war.
“It was very touching moment when Casper and … Sergei say goodbye [to] each other. Because Sergei crying and Casper also crying,” Valentina told CNN.
One day, Casper cried out and began acting odd. The Stoyanovs soon learned that Sergei was killed. It was as if the dog intuited the loss.
“It’s very, very depressive situation (here),” Leonid said. “We cannot sleep because we are nervous. … We have a lot of work, a lot of animals, a lot of people dying, a lot of our friends dying.”
No matter how hard the circumstances get, however, these Ukrainian veterinarians won’t quit.
“We just hold on and continue to do what we do because we see how it is important for animals, for all these lives around us,” Valentina said.
