Russian army continues to fire at zoos & animal shelters, says Ukraine's Foreign Ministry

As the Russia-Ukraine war continues for the second week, the Foreign Affairs Ministry of Ukraine claimed that the Russian army is continuing shelling on zoos and animal shelters in Ukraine. The Ministry shared a post on Twitter, stating that the Russian army is still shelling zoos and animal shelters and that countless animals have been separated from their owners.

Many people are trying to flee Ukraine but, some volunteers have chosen to stay in the country and help the animals, who were abandoned by desperate families escaping the violence. Animal rescue organisations in and around Ukraine have been overwhelmed with requests to save endangered pets whose owners had no choice but, to leave the country without them. In the meanwhile, the local report suggests that bears from the Save Wild bear sanctuary outside Kyiv were taken to Poland, where they will be housed in a zoo for the duration of the conflict, according to BBC.

IFAW is helping three animal shelters in Ukraine

The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) is helping three animal shelters in Ukraine, according to the Mirror. The organisation is now frantically trying to help 1,100 dogs that are trapped in a dangerous combat zone with decreasing food supplies and limited medical care.

Their two primary shelters have already been hit by a barrage of missiles, killing a number of dogs and cats. On February 27, a shell struck the Horlivka Shelter in Gorlovka, eastern Ukraine, killing one dog. The other primary shelter, PIF, in Donetsk, eastern Ukraine, was extensively damaged by the Russian military on March 1, with many dogs and cats killed.  

IFAW did not expect Russian invaders to target animal shelters

IFAW did not expect Russian invaders to target animal shelters in Ukraine, describing the incident as surprising. James Sawyer, who is IFAW's regional director stated that they are doing their best to help from outside Ukraine by providing financial support to the animal shelters so they can buy food and medical supplies for the animals, according to Mirror. IFAW is working closely with authorities to give humanitarian packages, but getting information out of the country is proving challenging.

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