Okanagan’s Animal Food Bank is making sure no pet is left behind in Ukraine.
Just days after Russia invaded the country, the not-for-profit foundation started fundraising to create a fund to support animal welfare organizations, shelters and good Samaritans on the ground.
“We have raised $27,500 which is amazing we have donated about $26,000 of it right now,” said Nicole Frey, Animal Food Bank founder.
Now that the conflict has gone on for more than a month, Frey and her team have secured partners they work with regularly with the goal of getting pets, livestock, zoo animals and wildlife out of the country.
The Animal Food Bank is working with two organizations, one is Breaking the Chains which works on the ground in the red zone. The other is called Planting Peace, a not-for-profit that works in a variety of humanitarian and environmental initiatives.
Frey is in contact with volunteers from Planting Peace every day to provide assistance where needed.
“On Friday or Saturday we helped fund the movement of some dogs out of Ukraine and into a rescue in Sweden and so it’s constantly evolving,” said Frey.
The Animal Food Bank is expanding their services to Ukrainian refugees with pets who have come to Canada and are asking that anyone in need of help reach out through their website.
“We want to understand what’s going to be needed so we can make sure that we can offer support for them.”
Just as quickly as the donations come into the Animal Food Bank’s fund for Ukraine, they are sent out.
As the war goes on, so does the need for donations. For more information about how you can help visit www.animalfoodbank.org