Kyiv rescue workers pose with stray animals for charity photoshoot
A Ukrainian animal shelter in the Kyiv suburb of Bucha has staged a charity photoshoot with animal rescue workers from Ukraine’s State Emergency Service to raise money for stray animals, the shelter announced via social media.
The photoshoot is aimed at drawing public attention to the need of stray animals in Ukraine, as well as raising funds for the shelter.
Best Friends was founded in 2014 and is currently home to around 1,000 animals, including
cats, dogs, horses, and more, and is constantly welcoming new residents. You can donate to the shelter, and the critters that call it home, via the shelter’s website.
Stray animals in Ukraine have long been an issue for municipal authorities across the country, and programs for tagging and sterilization of strays have typically been underfunded by relevant authorities. This has led to scandals involving both residents and city authorities, who have been accused of poisoning or killing stray animals ahead of major international events such as the Euro Cup in 2012 or Eurovision in 2017.
Meanwhile, stray animals have also become a mascot for Ukrainian soldiers fighting on the front lines against Russian proxy forces in the east of the country - often seen prowling around trenches and serving their country alongside their human counterparts.
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