Man cares for animals at Ukraine border so refugees don’t have to give up their pets
The escalating invasion by Russian forces has made Ukraine a very dangerous place, and countless citizens have been forced to flee their home country.
But despite everything, people still make their beloved pets a priority, refusing to leave them behind.
Now, one animal hero is getting involved in Ukraine, doing his part to make sure no one has to give up their pets.
Aaron Jackson, founder of the charity group Planting Peace, flew to Ukraine to provide aid to refugees. He was inspired to act after reading about Ukrainian refugees sleeping in a train station at the border between Ukraine and Poland.
“The story moved me enough that I bought a plane ticket two hours after reading it,” he wrote on Facebook.
“There I saw the true cost of war. Families fleeing their homes. Families separating from their loved ones. Families fleeing from the lives they knew. All this in freezing temperatures.”
Aaron immediately got to work making a difference. According to CNN, he helped one family — Donatien Tshikele Mubabinge, his wife Ngalula and their 2-year-old daughter Tushike — who had fled Ukraine amidst Russian bombing near their home, leaving everything behind.
After seeing them sleeping on the floor with nowhere to go, Aaron paid to get the family a hotel room and helped them search for permanent housing.
“It’s horrible why they’re leaving, but it’s inspiring at the same time — to see the human will and the human spirit and what they’re willing to do to save their own lives and the life of their child,” Aaron told CNN.
But Aaron and other volunteers at the border are helping refugees with pets, providing shelter for the animals until their owners can find housing.
“It’s really heartwarming to see families not give up on their pets,” Planting Peace wrote on Facebook, sharing a photo of a young refugee girl bundled up with her dog at the border.
“Escaping a war but not giving up on your dog is the most heartwarming thing.”
The charity has been working to secure pet-friendly housing for refugees, while also donating food and supplies to pets in need.
