A hero vet is crossing into Ukraine to rescue animals trapped in the conflict – including a dog with a bullet lodged in her spine and a pygmy goat with diseased legs.
Jakub Kotowicz, 32, made a trip into the warzone last week as part of a convoy from Przemyśl on the Polish border.
In the past fortnight he has rescued around 200 cats and 60 dogs from Lviv, in three convoys.
Rescued pets recovering from the trauma included a Sphinx cat dressed in a knitted jumper who loves to cuddle, and a Chihuahua puppy rescued with it’s mum.
Jakub plans to keep a pygmy goat kid, named Sasha, which was rescued from Lviv aged two months.
Sasha shares a soft bed with the Chihuahuas and will be kept as a pet by the vets at the ADA Foundation, an animal rescue charity Jakub founded aged 17 years old.
It also has a private veterinary clinic, but the non-profit organisation is dependent on donations.
So far £60,000 has been raised by Nick Tadd, 55, who is in Poland indefinitely after leaving Guildford, Surrey, to help with animal rescue missions,.
The charity has ambitious plans to buy another ambulance and convert a pizza shop into a place for rescued animals to be kept as well as packing a warehouse with supplies.
Some of the animals have been so badly injured they were put to sleep but an intensive rehabilitation process means many will be re-homed across Europe – and a couple of cats have already been reunited with their Ukrainian owners.
Jakub set off from Poland at noon on Tuesday and returned at 3am and says he has not slept for five days.
Brits who want to help with the animal welfare situation are encouraged to rehome a Polish pet, in order to make space for Ukrainian animals at rescue centres.
Jakub said: “All the cats are very stressed, the journey from Lviv is one day and we crossed the border with a diplomatic pass but the queue from Ukraine was very long.
“We are preparing the animals for an adoption process.
“We bought two cars and paid £12,500 for one.
“Sometimes the animals which are in very poor condition will be with us for two or three months.
“Some people came here and were asking if we had their cat.
“We had two cats that we returned to their owners.
“Sasha came to us from the first convoy to Lviv, an old woman asked us to have her.
“She has diseased legs.
“The next convoy might be next week, because it is very dangerous.
“There were three cars and eight people in this one.
“We came back about 2am or 3am on Tuesday and had to check all the animals in four to six hours, then go to sleep for two hours.”
The centre is getting a wheelchair for a dog named Vira, aged seven, who has a bullet lodged in her spine.
It has an innovative facility for rehoming pooches, a ‘dog village’, where canines can get used to furniture such as sofas and tables, while being monitored by prospective owners.
Volunteers have given their time from as far away as Denmark, Canada, and America.
Also helping out was Husky Rescue Ireland, and a couple of independent volunteers.
Nick Tadd, a wildlife photographer, came out two weeks ago and has no plans to go back to Guildford.
He said: “I’m just a helping hand really.
“I don’t fear it, it isn’t sort of bravado.
“If we raise enough funds we’re going to buy another ambulance.
“We are asking people in the UK to adopt Polish pets so they can make room for Ukrainian animals.
“The animals have got PTSD.”
To donate visit https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/ukrainemissionnick
