Supporting Ukraine’s animals: A look back at 2025

15 Jan

Written by Gregg Tully, Ukraine Project Manager

Thanks to your generosity, Wildlife & Welfare’s partners across Ukraine have been able to keep working through an exceptionally hard year to feed, treat and sterilise roaming dogs and cats. The situation remains critical — shelters are stretched, frontline communities face continuing danger, and many animals still lack the basic care they need — but with your help we made measurable, lifesaving progress in 2025.

2025 at a glance

3,007 animals sterilised and vaccinated (1,102 dogs and 1,905 cats).
More than 55 tonnes of pet food distributed (≈37 t dog food, ≈18 t cat food), reaching roughly 9,000 animals and the people who feed them.
Coordinated targeted sterilisation drives in multiple villages and towns (including nine village projects in a recent three-month period).

These actions — focused, local and rapid — reduced immediate suffering and will prevent the birth of thousands of animals who would otherwise face starvation, disease and a life on the streets.

Why we prioritise sterilisation

Ukraine traditionally has low rates of spaying and neutering. When war displaced millions of people and local economies broke down, countless pets were left behind and roaming populations multiplied. Sterilisation is the single most effective long-term tool we have to stop the cycle of suffering: fewer births mean fewer animals left to fend for themselves, and a smaller, healthier roaming population that local volunteers can manage.

Because of that, sterilisation is our top priority — delivered through short, intensive campaigns in defined neighbourhoods and villages so that we can sterilise nearly every unsterilised animal in a given area quickly and measure the effect. The difference is already visible, with partners reporting fewer puppies and kittens in places where we’ve run sustained programmes.

Food, emergency care and shelter repairs — practical help where it matters

Sterilisation alone is not enough while animals are starving or injured. That is why we continue to:

Deliver large, concentrated shipments of dog and cat food to frontline and hard-hit regions (Odessa, Mykolaiv, Kharkiv and surrounding areas).
Fund emergency veterinary care for animals with treatable injuries and illnesses — small interventions that transform lives.
Support shelter infrastructure where it makes a sustainable difference. For example, we provided a grant to My Living Dogs (outside Odessa) to help build a vet clinic so local veterinary care is available for roaming animals.
Provide purpose-built dog houses to help animals survive harsh winters, placed and monitored by local volunteers.

A story: Alisa — from the street to a second chance

One rescued dog that illustrates the impact of this work is Alisa. Found in the village of Sarata with a broken leg, head wounds and other injuries, Alisa was brought to our partner Zhanna and taken to several clinics before one agreed to operate. After months of treatment and rehabilitation she began walking, then running, and is now in foster care with a pathway to adoption. Alisa’s recovery shows how targeted funding for emergency treatment saves lives — and, with luck, returns animals to loving homes.

The human cost and the courage of our partners

Our partners in Ukraine work under constant strain: they face power cuts, lack of heat and supplies, and the daily risk of missile or drone strikes. They undertake feeding rounds, rescue injured animals and coordinate clinics often at personal risk. Their reports are stark — “every day is getting harder, but we are holding on” — and yet they continue because of the support they see from you.

What’s next

Demand still outstrips funding. We are planning further sterilisation campaigns in 2026, along with additional food deliveries, emergency treatment grants and continued shelter support — but only if we can raise the funds to do so. If you would like to help more animals like Alisa, your donation will be put to immediate use in Ukraine where it can have direct and measurable effect.

To support our Ukraine work, visit our donations page or contact Gregg Tully, Ukraine Programme Director, for information about specific appeals and projects.

Thank you for standing with Ukraine’s animals. Your compassion keeps feeding bowls full, operating theatres open and volunteers working in places most agencies cannot reach. Together we are preventing suffering now — and building a more manageable, humane future for roaming animals across Ukraine.