As hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians flee their country, many are refusing to leave without their pets by their side. Across social media, photos have popped up of people and their animals attempting uncertain border crossings or huddling in ʙ.ᴏ.ᴍ.ʙ shelters and subway stations.
It’s hard not to feel powerless in times of crisis, but there are ways to help Ukrainian pets and their families — as well as the shelter animals with nowhere else to go. And many people have chosen to run away with their beloved animals.
As Russia continues its invasion of Ukraine, citizens caught in the crossfire are grabbing their suitcases — and their pets — as they seek safety in ʙ.ᴏ.ᴍ.ʙ shelters or neighboring countries.
Kharkiv resident Caman Denysenko brought his cat underground into a metro subway station to seek shelter.
A woman held her cat as she walked near the Kyiv-Pasazhyrskyi railway station in Kyiv.
At a metro station in Kyiv, a woman wiped a tear as she checked her phone, cat carrier in tow.
At Przemysl train station in Poland, a woman carried her pet rabbit as she stepped off a train from Kyiv.
Inside the station, a woman held her cat in her lap as she waited for another train.
A woman held her phone in one hand and her dog in the other after crossing from Ukraine into Romania.
These heartbreaking stories are really heartbreaking, hope peace will return soon and the world will no longer be at ᴡ.ᴀ.ʀ.