DISASTER! Because of the war, thousands of dogs are in danger of starving to death.

1. In Ukraine, animals and volunteers of the Sirius Shelter are thrown into the horrors of war

Victims of bombings, buried under rubble, separated from their owners, starving... In Ukraine, the war also impacts the animals. Often forgotten, they are violently impacted by the conflict that ravages the country.

The Sirius Shelter, based in Fedorivka, 60 km north of Kiyv, is not spared. Under Russian occupation for more than a month, any humanitarian convoy or food supply for animals was forbidden. Anastasyas, our contact on the spot, recalls the events of March 11: "The Russian army arrived at the shelter, requisitioned the cell phones of the volunteers and shot a bullet into each of them. They could not contact anyone anymore."

80 km further west of Kiyv, the Borodyanka shelter was also in the hands of the Russian army for 5 weeks. Trapped in their cages and cut off from all human contact, 300 dogs perished, deprived of food and water...

Today, the Sirius Shelter has been freed from the Russian grip, but the conditions of survival are extremely harsh. The volunteers are helpless, and face another catastrophic situation: a shortage of kibble.

2. Abandoned, lost or orphaned, the animals are traumatized and now face hunger

Before the war broke out, the Sirius Shelter was already saturated. Today, it houses 3,900 dogs! The number is hardly believable and the animals continue to pour in, but how can the caretakers cope with this unprecedented drama?

The reasons for their arrival are numerous: orphans following the death of their owners, abandoned under duress, lost during the fighting or survivors of other structures... Some shelters like the one in Berdyansk, in the south-east of the country, have been or are still being subjected to air strikes. Stressed by the bombings, many animals try to escape, sometimes seriously injuring themselves. Those who manage to escape are left to their own devices, unable to feed in the wild. Some have even been found shot.

Across the country, it is estimated that nearly 700,000 pets have been separated from their owners.

3. Finding kibble for animals: a perilous mission in wartime

At the beginning of the conflict, aid focused on people, and the need for pet food was identified late on the ground. Today, it is a crucial demand. "The dogs are in danger and their survival depends on it", says the Tryzub association, who corresponds whenever possible with the Sirius Shelter.

When the Russian army controlled the region, the dogs of the shelter were fed as best they could by the local population with potatoes, cereals and food waste. On April 1st, transfers became possible again, but the shelter is in an isolated area, and supplies are still difficult to obtain.

The usual supply circuits are no longer functioning. Many infrastructures have been destroyed and major roads remain inaccessible because they are under the control of the enemy army. The economic activity of Ukraine is at a standstill, everything is directed to the war effort. Shortages affect all consumer products, and kibbles are no exception!

4. The need to act, despite the difficulties of supplying kibble to Ukraine

Faced with the emergency for animals, the French-Ukrainian association Tryzub and Animal Webaction are collaborating together to launch this campaign and help the 3,900 dogs of the Sirius Shelter.

If this campaign is successful, Animal Webaction will use its logistic platform based in Romania to transport the kibbles to Poland. From there, the Sirius Shelter's truck will load the shipment and transport it to their shelter in Ukraine.