Animals increased by 60%: animal rights activists told how the war affected shelters

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Due to the war, the number of dogs and cats in shelters has increased by an average of 60% since the beginning of 2022. According to animal rights activists, the number of animals in shelters increased by 20-30% in the rear areas, by 60% among animal volunteers from the frontline areas, and by 100% in shelters near the front. This is evidenced by the results of a study by the Ukrainian Center for the Study of Public Opinion “Sotsioinform”, the animal protection initiative Save Pets of Ukraine informed “UP. Life”. Most of the animals that are given shelter in times of war are pets abandoned by their owners during evacuation. Also, sterilization programs became less active during the war, which will contribute to the reproduction of homeless animals in the future. Read also: How to evacuate with pets: an emergency suitcase, documents, staying in a bomb shelter. Illustrative photo: kovbasniuk/Depositphotos As part of the Save Pets of Ukraine study, a census was taken of 510 shelters, sterilization centers and animal volunteers who take care of abandoned animals. According to animal rights activists, as of January 2023, 25,799 dogs and 19,473 cats are under the care of shelters and volunteers. “The number of animals in shelters today is variable. New wards are constantly being added. Some of them are placed in families or transported to Europe. Due to the lack of places in shelters, hybrid forms of care are more actively used: over-housing, feeding animals on the street,” the study says. . The main needs of wartime shelters are feed, veterinary support and medicine. In the winter, the problem of the cost of heating and frequent power outages (which provides water supply, heating, and operation of refrigerators) became relevant. Shelters also complained about the decrease in the share of animal adoptions, the lack of staff in shelters, the need to expand shelters, repair or build enclosures. In the frontline areas, shelters need to overcome the consequences of destruction, difficulties with procurement and delivery of feed/medicine, and potentially evacuate shelters. For shelters and animal volunteers from all territories, such problems as: lack of fodder (in particular, due to the increase in their cost) are relevant; lack of funds for medicines and services of veterinary clinics; difficulty in housing animals; reduction of income/donations (relevant for small shelters); lack of possibility to evacuate animals (especially for large shelters). At the same time, the lack of electricity, water, gas, as well as animal sterilization programs is problematic for the frontline areas. “The large shelters are not mobile. They are under occupation all these days without food… The roads are broken, and it is impossible to bring anything to the shelter,” sociologists were told in one of the front-line shelters, where there are more than a hundred animals. Sociologists also learned the main problems of sterilization centers near the front: lack of funds: for fodder, medicine, fuel, payment of utilities; lack of places/enclosures for keeping animals; lack of warm things to insulate enclosures. And in the rear, sterilization centers reported a lack of equipment to help seriously injured animals. In all territories, animal volunteers face such difficulties as the lack of income and stable funding, the impossibility of service in clinics due to debt, the forced appeal to unproven specialists, as well as the large expenditure of time due to the need to adjust to the doctor’s appointment (due to a blackout). For the occupied territories, such problems as complicated crossing of roadblocks and lack of fodder in stores are relevant. Photo: Save Pets of Ukraine In general, shelters need: fodder and dry milk; personnel; money for veterinary support; medicines, vaccines, treatment preparations against parasites, diapers, syringes; fillers (for cats); firewood/fuel and generators; cages/boxes for transportation; delay; repair of enclosures; additional territory. Zoo volunteers need donations for veterinary support, vaccines, sanitary treatment preparations, funds to pay for communal services (heating), overtime for animals and support from volunteers. At the same time, sterilization centers are asking for medicine, equipment and fuel for generators. Most shelters report a decrease in animal adoption rates. Since there are more and more abandoned animals, this leads to a critical burden on shelters. The problem is especially acute in the frontline areas and shelters outside the big cities. According to animal protectionists, it is most difficult to accommodate large dogs (above the knees), sick, old and unsocialized animals. The main reasons for the decrease in the adoption of animals are the mass migration of the population (fewer people who can take an animal into the family), as well as the decrease in the wealth of Ukrainians. “Something saves the situation – the ability to adopt animals abroad; some charitable organizations and foundations are also working in this direction. However, it was much easier at the beginning of the full-scale war, when the procedure for taking animals abroad was simplified. Now the process has become more complicated and more expensive.” – says the study. Read also: Cats die of cold and hunger in 6 hours. How to help animals in winter? Almost all shelters that keep dogs have indoor requirements. It is mainly about the construction or repair of enclosures, less often – about auxiliary buildings. Usually, we are talking about such needs as materials for the repair, insulation and construction of enclosures, ready-made enclosures, booths, cages, carriers for transporting animals. We also need premises for staff who care for animals, enclosures for puppies (especially very small and sick ones). Rarely do shelters need to find an area to expand or build a spay/neuter clinic. Among the veterinary services, animals most need treatment, surgery, sterilization, vaccination, hospital services and supervision. Also, animal rescuers need complex vaccines, means of treating parasites (worms, fleas, ticks), medicines (in particular, antibiotics, hemostatics), dressing materials, diapers. It is rare for shelters to need syringes, tables and equipment for sterilization, and even less often – infusomata for droppers and tests for leukemia. For wintering shelters need fuel for generators, firewood, generators (for lighting, heating, operation of refrigerators, water pumps), flashlights and lanterns, materials for insulation of enclosures, and some – invectors. “We will need 30 cubic meters of firewood for the winter… and that’s about 90,000 hryvnias,” the researchers were told in the cat shelter in the rear. “The Russians threaten us with the collapse of the energy sector. We had a flight to the substation and there was no light. And we have refrigerators and freezers in which we keep meat. So we need a generator. This includes water (pump), and the Internet, and telephones , and products,” they say in a front-line shelter for animals. When it comes to food, shelters are most in need of puppy/kitten food, milk powder for newborn animals, specialty food for chronically ill animals, and wet food. The research was conducted at the “Socioinform” center on the order of the Kormotech company, which in 2022 founded the national initiative Save Pets of Ukraine. For this purpose, 14 in-depth interviews were conducted, including 2 with sterilization centers, 8 with shelters, and 4 with animal volunteers. 7 surveys were conducted in frontline regions, 7 in the rear, 8 in regional centers, and 6 in smaller towns and villages. 9 shelters participating in the survey have 20-100 animals, and 5 have more than 100 animals. Read also: How to provide first aid to a homeless animal – animal rights activists explain

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