A Polish charity worker is making regular runs into war-torn Ukraine to rescue dozens of abandoned pets.
Konrad Kuzminski is among a handful of staff from an animal shelter close to the Polish-Ukrainian border which has been flooded with calls from desperate Ukrainians asking for help.
Since the outbreak of hostilities last week Konrad and his colleagues from the animal charity Dioz have rescued more than 100 dogs, cats, rabbits, hamsters and even a chameleon.
Konrad said: ‘There has been a lot of fake news and uncorroborated stories that Ukrainians are killing abandoned animals, that is just not correct.
‘We have been involved in many rescue missions in over there, rescuing animals that we have been told about or who have been taken to shelters.
‘A lot of them are in a bad way, they are sick, hungry or suffering from broken limbs we collect every animal we find and bring them back to our shelter to be looked after.’
A charity worker is making regular runs into war-torn Ukraine to rescue dozens of pets
Konrad Kuzminski is among a handful of staff from a Polish animal shelter close to the border which has been flooded with calls from desperate Ukrainians asking for help
Since the outbreak of hostilities last week Konrad and his colleagues from the animal charity Dioz have rescued more than 100 dogs, cats, rabbits, hamsters and even a chameleon
The shelter on the outskirts Przemysl has been working overtime the last week with the team making a crossing every day
The shelter on the outskirts Przemysl has been working overtime the last week with the team making a crossing every day.
Vital paperwork means they able to speed across the border without having to stop for long and they can take the animals quickly back to their centre.
MailOnline spotted Konrad and his van – a converted ambulance – at the border as he took a German Shepherd he had rescued from the Ukrainian city of Lviv for a walk.
He said: ‘It hurts me so much to see these animals suffering and people sometimes forget about pets at times of war which I suppose is a natural consequence.
‘Last weekend I had a call from a guy who was in Ukraine, and he said he was living on his own but had a dog and he wanted us to look after because he was going to fight the Russians.
‘We arranged to meet just over the border, and he was in tears as he handed his dog over to me but I said we would look after him and he could collect him when all this was over.’
Konrad and his colleagues have been working round the clock for the last week and he even had to spend the night in his van because he had overrun into the curfew.
Konrad and his colleagues have been working round the clock for the last week and he even had to spend the night in his van because he had overrun into the curfew
The animals that are successfully treated are put up for adoption but others have asked for their pets to be kept safe until the war is over
A Polish animal shelter has been flooded with calls from desperate Ukrainians asking for help
Vital paperwork means they able to speed across the border without having to stop for long and they can take the animals quickly back to their centre
He added: ‘Please forgive me if I don’t make sense, I’m tired physically and psychologically working in a war situation.
‘We have received hundreds of calls to help people with their pets – some people do bring them across but others can’t and they don’t want to abandon their pets so contact us.
‘We are sent drastic photos of people’s pets or animals that have been found abandoned and we try and help as much as we can but sometimes, we just can’t get to them all.
‘No other Polish organisation is working as hard as us to save animals and pets – we are sending convoys to Ukraine every day.’
When MailOnline visited the centre, vets were frantically dealing with an adorable looking mongrel called Miron who had been rushed from the border.
Dr Radoslaw Fedaczynski, 42, who specialises in cat and dog illnesses, said: ‘Sadly this dog is very malnourished and suffering from exhaustion and several illnesses.
‘I don’t think we will be able to save him and sadly he may will have to be put down. It’s very distressing for all of us working with the animals we want to help them but, in this case, we have no choice.
‘Some of the dogs and animals we get are so weak and undernourished there is nothing we can do for them it’s very distressing.
Authorities in Poland have made it possible for refugees fleeing with their pets to enter the country without vaccinations, microchip and blood test
Animal charity Peta UK said: ‘We strongly urge people not to leave their animals behind’
When MailOnline visited the centre, vets were frantically dealing with an adorable looking mongrel called Miron who had been rushed from the border
‘We have seen dogs arrive with their ribs showing, living in their faeces and psychologically very disturbed.’
The animals that are successfully treated are put up for adoption but others have asked for their pets to be kept safe until the war is over.
In a heart-breaking Instagram Konrad posted a touching video showing several dogs sitting silently in cubicles with one desperate animal looking silently at the wall and not even responding to calls.
Konrad added: ‘Pets during a war are not as big a problem as the military and in this case especially the Russian troops and their tanks, they have caused this problem.”
Authorities in Poland have made it possible for refugees fleeing with their pets to enter the country without vaccinations, microchip and blood test.
Animal charity Peta UK said: ‘We strongly urge people not to leave their animals behind. Just like humans fleeing from war, companion animals will be scared and stressed and depending on their human guardians for comfort and security.’
The Dioz charity works alongside the ADA Foundation and is asking for donations to help fund its work through their Facebook page here.
