Matt, who is not shown in the photo above for safety reasons, is one of dozens of Ukrainians saving animals from war (Photo: PETA Foundation)
Matt, 24, watched as his wife ignored Russian bombs falling around them to save Niobe, a tiny terrified cat.
The two were soldiers in Kupyansk, just 25 miles from the border, when the Kremlin launched another attack on Ukraine in its excruciating war.
For Matt, this moment was another reminder that his wife Ruta was and always will be his first “great love.”
“Ruta’s courage cut through the chaos that day,” says Matt, whose full name cannot be revealed for security reasons. Subway“and her love for all animals – even during war – was extraordinary.”
The couple had been together since childhood and later served in the Ukrainian Armed Forces after Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded Crimea.
“But when the full-scale invasion broke out in February 2022, everything changed. The intensity and destruction destroyed any sense of normalcy,” says Matt.
“Nothing will ever be the same now.”
War can turn animals’ lives upside down (Photo: PETA Foundation)
Dogs are regularly seen on chains in front of war-damaged buildings (Photo: PETA Foundation)
Ukraine is home to hundreds of thousands of dogs (Photo: PETA Foundation)
At the end of April, Russian missiles hit Donbas, now the main stage of the war, killing Ruta. “She died in my arms.”
“She never stopped caring. She saved cats and other animals even from the front lines,” adds Matt, who now lives in the north-eastern city of Kharkov.
Since February 24, 2022, Russia has killed approximately 30,500 Ukrainian civilians and over 6.1 million have fled their homes. The Ukrainian government estimates that 180,000 Russians were killed.
Humans are not the only creatures affected by war. According to estimates, in 2014 there were approximately 750,000 dogs in Ukraine, including approximately 200,000 strays, and 5,500,000 cats.
Heavy metals such as lead from bullets and bombs can leach into the soil and harm species for decades while habitats become battlefields.
Farmland was devastated by Russian aggression, zoo animals died of starvation and cold, and animal shelters were bombed, killing volunteers and the furry friends they cared for.
Animal rescuers near Kharkov save dozens of animals every day from the front lines (Photo: PETA Foundation)
The German branch of PETA hopes to open the first animal shelter in Ukraine in cooperation with Animal Rescue Kharkiv (ARK) (Photo: PETA Foundation)
One ARK employee, Matt, says he was inspired to join the group after losing his wife, who cared deeply about animals (Image: PETA Foundation)
Ruta could never save every animal traumatized by war, but Matt does what he can to save them and thus keep his wife’s memory alive.
“Ruta and I loved helping animals together, and after her tragic death, my determination to fulfill her mission became even stronger,” she says.
“Her goal was to help take care of those who never start wars but end up being hit the hardest – cats, dogs and other animals.”
Ukrainian law allows several family members who lost family members during the war to be released for an indefinite period.
Matt called Animal Rescue Kharkiv (ARK), a local animal rescue group, and asked to join after he was discharged from the hospital. “I arrived the next day and never looked back,” he says.
“My work with ARK is a testament to her courage and love,” Matt says of Ruta. “My heart will forever carry her memory.”
The sanctuary will be built just 30 km from the front line (Photo: PETA Foundation)
Igor Sobko, ARK’s first-line animal rescuer, says many animals abandoned by their owners are hiding in their homes (PETA Foundation
The war deepened the neglect of animals in Ukraine (Photo: PETA Foundation)
Currently, Matt, one of 85 ARK members, is working with the German PETA to build the first animal shelter in Ukraine, about 30 km from the front line. Both animal rights groups, backed by the Ukrainian military, saw volunteers traverse war-ravaged cities to save animals.
Animal neglect has long been a problem in Ukraine and is a crime that is rarely, if ever, prosecuted. Although the law states that pets cannot be left unattended or tied up in public places, Igor Sobko, an animal rescuer on the front lines of ARK, says he has seen too many emaciated and sick dogs to count chained to buildings and kennels.
“Every day is different. But the longer the war goes on, the more similar the situations become. Dogs and cats often retreat – terrified – to ruined houses because they remain where they spent their lives – explains Sobko.
“The worst part of a rescue is the despair in the animals’ eyes. When dogs are chained for several days and their owners have escaped, they remain scared and sick – without food or water,” Sobko recalls. “It’s hard to put into words, but that look shows that they have already given up, unable to understand that help is still coming.”
“So many people escaped. So many animals were left behind,” he added.
Sobko saw all this about two years after the conflict began. “We were at the front with our horse carrier, ready to take the horses and cows out. But then Russian drones attacked the vehicle,” he recalled.
“It all happened so quickly: within seconds the trailer was completely burned. Fortunately, there were no people or other animals in the vehicle, but the situation could have turned out completely differently.
Animal rescuers saw their vehicles destroyed by Russian drones (Image: PETA Foundation)
Other volunteers rescued the animals as fears grew that they would be shot (Image: PETA Foundation)
Animals left behind may starve to death (Photo: PETA Foundation)
Teams encountered sheep that had escaped into the building’s flattened stairwell and had to be carried out one by one because volunteers feared they would be shot. Or a village whose inhabitants were murdered by Russian forces.
“The team had to climb over the carcasses to save the animals that were left – alone and without a chance,” says Sobko. “How are people supposed to deal with something like this? But somehow they manage together as a team and carry on!”
ARK employees care for approximately 1,300 animals – they rescue up to 80 animals every day and have placed 17,000 in loving homes. Building a sanctuary for all of them just makes sense, says Sobko.
“This is a pioneering project – in fact, it is unheard of in Ukraine to provide animals with a large space and ensure that all their needs are treated as a priority. This place has already become a small oasis of calm in the midst of this unrelenting storm,” he says.
“There will be a large fenced outdoor area and stables for sheep, goats, horses, ducks, donkeys and many other animals that have been rescued near the front line. In addition, large runs for approximately 450 dogs are being built and fenced.”
Sylvie Bunz, manager of PETA’s special projects in Germany and senior project manager of PETA Helps Ukraine, says about 1,700 tons of vegan food for rescued dogs and cats are delivered to teams like ARK every month.
The sanctuary is supported by the PETA fund (Photo: PETA Foundation)
Farm animals are also abandoned (Photo: PETA Foundation)
“We have also established a veterinary clinic, another sterilization project and a large fleet of vehicles. The logistics are complex and necessary to help as many animals as possible,” he says, and the animal shelter is funded by PETA’s Global Compassion Fund.
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“Rescuers are constantly faced with destruction and death. Their lives, everything they have built, are reduced to rubble, and yet they remain there and continue to help the animals.
Matt feels the same. It is unclear when the Russian-Ukrainian war will end, and taking each day as it comes often seems to be the only option now that death has become an everyday occurrence for Ukrainians.
“When you lose someone so important to you, it’s hard to move on, but now my goal is to save animals on the front lines,” says Matt.
“I risk my life every day and I know Ruta would be proud of me.”
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