Summary of the "Unabandoned 2.0" Campaign

Conclusions

"The first animal that joined us was a cat named Ukróp in the autumn of 2014. At that time, animal shelters were lacking space because they were bringing in cats and dogs from the ATO zone, where fighting was already ongoing. During a family meeting, we decided that we must take an animal from the shelter. Ukróp was a local cat; unfortunately, we do not know his story of arriving at the Sirius Shelter for Homeless Animals, but he desperately wanted to join a family and meowed louder than anyone else..." - this is the beginning of one of the touching stories shared by participants of our campaign on social media.

Reading this and other stories, we felt sadness and joy, wiped away tears and smiled, in short, we experienced what was described as if it happened to us.

But most importantly, we were proud, proud of every pet owner who didn`t abandon their beloved pet during the difficult times of uncertainty, proud of children and adults who "adopted" abandoned or lost animals during the war, treated them, protected them, and welcomed them into their families.

The conclusion from all the stories was one: domestic animals are not just pets, they are full-fledged family members who are always by our side, providing warmth, support, and loyalty. The "Unabandoned 2.0" campaign became a vivid example of how strong the love and responsibility of people can be towards their four-legged friends, even in the most challenging times.

Our team thanks each participant (total of 55) and wants to share the most remarkable stories:

Story by Yeremiya Bakus and Vasylina Bakus

Together with the children, we prepared a story about our animals for participation in the "Unabandoned 2.0" campaign. I remind you that currently, we have three cats and a dog, who came to us either from shelters or from the streets.

This narrative is written from my perspective, using excerpts from Yeremiya's story "War," which he wrote while being evacuated in Sokyryany, so it can be considered our collaborative work.

The goal of the "Unabandoned 2.0" campaign is to tell about animals that either experienced evacuation with their people or were "adopted" after the start of the full-scale invasion.

We have two in one - both evacuation with animals and "adoption" of tails after February 24, 2022. Our story:

Ukróp was a local cat; unfortunately, we do not know his story of arriving at the Sirius Shelter for Homeless Animals, but he desperately wanted to join a family and meowed louder than anyone else.

At that time, Vasylina was one year old; she does not remember the moment the cat arrived, so we can say that she has known Ukróp throughout her conscious life.

Ukróp turned out to be a very well-behaved domestic cat, cultivated, balanced, a good companion and friend for the children.

But one cat was not enough; the children asked for a dog too. And when their age and level of responsibility finally allowed them to take care of a puppy, a dog named Bukva joined our family.

An announcement appeared in the local group that puppies of the mongrel breed were being placed for adoption, and a little one with a white nose melted our hearts. The puppies were born to a stray dog who was on her own, resulting in another litter in the barn. Bukva moved from the barn to our apartment, so to speak, with all the benefits and privileges.

Vasylina remembers: "My parents brought a box, we opened it, and there was a little puppy, we were so happy. It was on the eve of our birthdays with Yeremiya”.

This was a new level of responsibility, as the puppy needed frequent walks and training... and lots of love, which was certainly not lacking.

At the end of 2021, as the anxiety level regarding the possible invasion by Russia began to rise, we started preparing for a possible evacuation with animals. We ordered collars for Bukva and Ukróp, purchased a carrier. In February, we also bought a supply of food just in case.

February 24 happened something everyone feared.

In his story "War," Yeremiya recounts:

"- Get up!

What happened? - I immediately replied.

The war has started! - my mom replied.

What will we do? - I said.

I don't know, - my mom immediately replied to me.

At that moment, I was overwhelmed with horror, I didn't understand how it happened. It was exactly five in the morning, although I was supposed to get up at seven.

"Let's listen carefully", - my dad said after a while.

"I think I hear something", - I said. My sister said the same.

We could hear explosions".

And although we were preparing for such developments, we did not dare to leave on the first day of the war. We decided to spend the night with friends and decide about evacuation the next day.

In his story, Yeremiya recalls: "We thought we came there for one night, so we didn't take food and animals with us. Everything seemed like that would happen until the second night of the open war in Ukraine began. I wake up to some bangs and the sound of engines. I immediately started waking my dad (we slept in the same bed), he also got out of bed, and both families gathered in the corridor on the first floor. We decided to put on our shoes and jackets immediately. When all the heavy equipment passed (like tanks, BMPs, BTRs, etc.), our neighbors in the apartment told us that a large column of machinery had passed by, and also said that our dog was barking a lot, which was not surprising because he was scared. When it started to dawn, we decided to stay here for a long time, so mom and dad went to our apartment to collect, firstly, the animals and, secondly, the food”.

Firstly, the animals, yes, that is, we returned to the apartment because of the animals. Staying in the apartment was dangerous because the building stood right along the highway where enemy machinery was moving from Belarus to Kyiv, and since the bridge over the Irpin River in Demidyv was destroyed on the night of February 25, it was already impossible to leave by car. We got stuck in already-occupied Dimer. Together with the cat and dog, we moved to friends' private house. We delayed the decision to evacuate for a long time because there was no communication, no information about how safe it was to leave, which path to take. But eventually, the situation became increasingly dangerous, so on March 9, we packed our backpacks (only the essentials - documents, medicines, cat food, change of underwear and a pair of pants) and left on March 10.

Yeremiya wrote about this:

“The road was not close because we had to walk from the very center of Dimer to the Demidyv School, where my sister and I were studying before the war. It was there that people were gathered to cross the destroyed bridge over the Irpin River, which had overflowed due to the destroyed dam of the Kyiv Reservoir. The river turned into a vast swamp. Volunteers were building a makeshift bridge with planks to cross. We waited near the school for about an hour while enemy artillery was operating. It was very loud. The enemy self-propelled artillery was firing at Ukrainian positions, almost like SPAAGs.

After we were allowed to go, we headed towards the bridge. Volunteers from the Red Cross were leading us. At the beginning of the crossing, there were Russian checkpoints. The column was about three hundred people - refugees wanting to cross the Irpin River.

"Wow," I said.

"The river really overflowed," my mom replied to me.

Our cat was screaming out of character. Before the invasion, we had bought him a carrier. Our dog was pulling in every direction. Mines lay on the sides, which had not exploded. My mom tried to hold Bukva, the cat was carried by dad.

"Yes, the bridge is strong!" one of the volunteers shouted to us.

"The main thing is to walk in the middle," another said.

We crossed. There was already an AFU position there. We were already thinking that it was over, but not yet.

Boom! Everyone was thrown to the ground, and our dog broke free from the leash and nearly got hit by an armored vehicle that arrived to take everyone to the center of Lyutezh. But I grabbed Bukva by the back legs, and mom called her to herself. The dog, scared, also fell to the ground in front of mom, and we, not getting up, fastened her.

"Is everyone okay!?" - one of our soldiers shouted so everyone could hear.

Everyone immediately replied: "Yes!"

"Then everyone run as fast as you can!" - the soldier said, and everyone ran.

Thus, we, together with the animals, left the occupation. Then we went to Sokiryany, where unfamiliar people provided us with a house to stay. Our domestic cat started going outside, walking in the garden, befriending a local cat.

My children and I often talked about the fact that if our apartment survives and we have a place to return to, we will definitely take in another animal upon our return.

After the de-occupation of the Kyiv region, unfortunately, we could not return immediately because our apartment was damaged by the occupiers, and it took time to restore it. In August 2022, together with the children and animals, we finally returned home.

We did not forget our promise to adopt a stray animal. And already in September 2022, we took a delicate cat, Nyura, who was found by a soldier, from volunteers. Nyura was sick, with a twisted tail, and very, very gentle. From the first days in the family, she became the best friend of Vasylina.

But the story does not end here. A few weeks later, during a morning walk, our Bukva in the yard found a wet, exhausted kitten who was crying out of character. It was October, it was raining. We had to rescue a dirty and hungry "anything" from the street and carry it home. Thus, we had a chupacabra, shortened to Chupa. We planned to wash her and find a good home for her, but in the end, our family became her good home.

Our story of rescuing abandoned animals could have ended here. But in the winter, our Nyura fell seriously ill; we immediately rushed to the veterinarian and started treatment, but the disease was relentless, and Nyura passed away literally within three days. We, as a family, were devastated, but it was especially hard for Vasylina, because it was her Nyura. Vasylina kept remembering her.

And when in the summer, a photo of a black kitten similar to Nyura appeared on the "Sirius" shelter's page, we did not hesitate long. The next day, the kitten was at home.

"Now we have a dog and three cats. All the animals are sterilized, vaccinated, and each kitten has its own carrier. Vasylina sometimes asks: "If we have to leave again, we won't abandon the animals?" I reply, "Of course not, because they are family members".

The story uses quotes from the story “War” by Yeremii Bakus (a 9-A student of the Demydiv Lyceum) and the memories of Vasylina Bakus (a 6-B student of the Demydiv Lyceum).

Christmas Story by Dianna Petrikovecka

The cold didn't bother the cat much. He had a warm white-and-tawny coat, though still tangled, in which the frost would only bring a bit of discomfort. Just a bit. But now, this became a problem. Hunger and cold relentlessly drove the cat to the rainbow. He sat in the yard under a parked car, where the illusion of warmth still lingered. A rocket hit his house, right into the entrance where he lived. When the entrance collapsed, he fled and hid. It was very scary. His owners didn't look for him, they simply disappeared from his life. But he returned. He just couldn't go far from his home. Until the frost and snow arrived, life was normal. But now, winter was forcing people into their homes, and no one had food. The cat became a skeleton in a magnificent, though dirty, coat. His paw pads cracked so much that walking was painful. The cat lay under the car, eyes closed.
The woman's daughter carefully drove along the narrow yard road. On the back seat in a cradle slept the child. "Look, everything is fine. Don't rush," said the woman. A car honked from behind. "Grab him!" "Are you sure?" the daughter asked. "Of course. This is mine." "We already have six for three." "That's a bad number. Better seven. Grab him faster. They're honking from behind." The daughter quickly got out of the car, reached out her hand, and grabbed the cat. He was hanging in her hands like a rag. "Dirty. Put him on the floor." They honked again from behind. The daughter turned irritably and saw that the driver was giving a thumbs up. She smiled and waved to him. "You will be Semen," said the woman. "There must be a man in the house. I'll show you where the drill is".

Story by Tymofiy Zlyuchyi and His Mother Veronika

The second child, or how we dared to have two cats at home 🤪

We have long (meaning I) talked about getting an animal for Tymofiy, though a dog was always planned. When my husband got carried away, and I planned a surprise for my son's birthday: a puppy in a box (with ventilation holes!) under the Christmas tree - Tymofiy decided that he urgently needed a kitten 🙈 And while he had fixed his desire to "yes-yes-yes-I-really-want it," I saw an announcement in the neighbor's stories about two cute creatures looking for a home and a loving family 😃

"I'll take it," I thought, but we went for a look anyway. We couldn't communicate with our future kitten, but getting acquainted with her brother was successful. Moreover, the neighbor said that the kittens were twins. Within a few days, Lapka (that's what Tymofiy named her) stepped over the threshold of our home 🥰

The kitten's first day was shy, quiet (we thought that's her character), and even Mulya (our 16-year-old cat) was scratching around the apartment and hissing. But the next morning, Lapeo (that's how I call her) walked like a queen. Not just walking wherever she wanted, but also eating for two and using Mulya's litter box for her cat business 😅

But it's all fun and cute, if not to mention a week without sleep! Why? Simply because a little kitten is a small child that needs to be fed fresh and tasty, trained to use the potty after each meal and nap (remember that cats are nocturnal creatures?), and to sleep motionlessly so as not to accidentally step on the kitten, because she sleeps next to me - warming herself 🥰

And every time, we have to monitor our pets' interactions: Mulya is constantly hissing, and Lapka is provoking her 🤣 And it's not a joke! Lapeo hunts the former owner of the house, teases her, and runs for lunch first 😅

Already almost three weeks, we are the parents of this little rascal (she's very playful, and we are very scratched 🤪), and we can be calm: our "child" has a great appetite, solid sleep, and a steel character 🤟

Well, and the "old lady," I hope, will soon adapt and make friends with Lapochka ❤️

Story by Roman Reznikov

Trusya – A Symbol of Resilience

The all-Ukrainian campaign "Unabandoned 2.0" is not just a collection of stories about animals, it is a reflection of our humanity, our capacity for compassion and mercy, especially in times of trials. My story about a small kitten with a big heart, about Trusya, who became not just a pet, but a symbol of resilience and faith in life.

Everyone knows that every soldier defending our land has their own combat talisman, a faithful friend and companion. It can be a dog, a cat, a hedgehog, or even a bird – a creature that shares with the defender all the hardships of military life, providing warmth and boundless loyalty. It was from the combat positions that Trusya arrived with my brother.

Her name may seem unusual to some, but it carries deep meaning. Guardian angels in the form of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, those who found and rescued this small creature, named her Trusya from the word "roztyazhka" (stretching). This terrible word, associated with war, pain, and losses, became for this kitten a symbol of new life. Trusya was severely injured, resulting in the loss of her hind leg. It is hard to imagine the pain this little creature endured. But despite her physical suffering, she became a source of positivity and inexhaustible energy.

Trusya quickly adapted to her new home. Her three legs did not prevent her from active play and exploring the territory. She easily jumps, runs, and plays with toys, as if there had been no terrible injury. Her optimism and cheerfulness are impressive and inspiring. Watching her, you understand that even after the hardest trials, one can find the strength to live on, enjoy each day, and give love to those around.

Trusya became not just a pet for our family, she became a true family member, a source of warmth and positivity. Her story is a story of spirit strength, the ability to overcome difficulties, and remain optimistic under any circumstances. Her story is another testament to the fact that war leaves its mark not only on people but also on animals who find themselves in the epicenter of events.

The "Unabandoned 2.0" campaign gives us the opportunity not only to tell about the fate of animals who suffered from war but also to draw attention to the importance of humane treatment towards them. After all, they, like us, need protection, love, and care. Trusya's story is just one of many stories that need our attention. Let's remember that we are responsible for those we have tamed, and that even a small help can save a life.

Story by Victoria Marchenko

Today, we want to introduce another story of a rescued animal who was given our love and warmth, from my group 5 student, Victoria Marchenko, and her mother, Yana Marchenko.

When the full-scale war began, we had to leave our native city – the beautiful Kharkiv. Home, streets, parks, favorite places – everything was left behind. The heart was breaking with pain, but the main thing was to keep the family together. We went to the Khmelnytskyi region, where uncertainty awaited us, but also hope for safety.

The first weeks were difficult. We were getting used to the new place, trying to adapt. One day, while walking around, we came across a skinny, neglected kitten. He sat under an old fence, timidly looking at us with big yellow eyes. This was Murchyk.

We couldn't just walk by. The kitten looked like he had been hungry for a long time, but at the same time, there was something warm and trusting in his gaze. We brought him home, fed him, and within a few hours, he was purring sweetly, warming us with his presence.

Murchyk became part of our family. In difficult times, his purring calmed us, helped distract from anxious thoughts, and reminded us that life goes on. We saved him, but he saved us too – giving joy and a sense of home where we needed it most.

Now Murchyk lives with us, full of strength and love. His story reminds us that even in the hardest moments, life offers new beginnings if we are open to them.

You can read more stories on our social media pages using the hashtags #happypaw #bioetika #nepokynuti and links:

For all participants of the campaign, we have prepared acknowledgment that can be downloaded by clicking the "Acknowledgment" button at the end of the article.

Together with our partners at TM Purina, we have also prepared gifts and raffled them among all participants.

Congratulations to the winners!*

* Participants' names are listed according to the data provided in the applications (without changes).

Gift delivery will be carried out via Nova Post at the recipient's expense.

Soon, the winners will receive an email with information about how to receive their gift.

Video of the raffle process

Thank you to everyone who participated in the campaign! Your love and care are an inspiration to others.

Together, we make the world kinder! 🐾

Summary of the "Unabandoned 2.0" Campaign

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