Vets to Ukraine - Animals Don’t Start Wars

Can you continue to help us?

Your generosity paid for our fares and the purchases we made and took with us for the Vet Clinic in Ukraine. Since our return six weeks ago, we sent the remaining funds, just under $4000 to go towards a generator. The clinic, staff quarters and animal housing has no heating, water, or electricity when the power goes out and that is OFTEN.

Today, the 13th December 2022, the temperature in Vinnytsia, Ukraine was minus 6 degrees celcius at 9am their time! Ridiculous conditions to work in and dangerous conditions for traumatised animals to recover from surgery.

This donation made our colleagues in Ukraine so very happy that we are asking for your help again.

Could you make a donation in the name of a friend or relative in lieu of a Christmas present to help us raise funds to assist the vets work effectively in winter? In return, we would send a card or message to the gift recipient.

Donations and an appreciative thank you

Donate up to $10 and we will send you a thank you card that you can download and gift to your gift recipient

Donate up to $50 and we will send a thank you card to the gift recipient

Donate up to $100 and we will send a personalised thank you voice message

Donate more than $100 and we will send the recipient a personalised card and personalised voice message

Who We Are

Emma is a fully qualified Vet with many years’ experience with both large and small animals. Pauline has worked alongside her as a Vet Nurse over the years and is a trained and experienced Wildlife Carer. They own a veterinary practice in Daylesford, a small town in the Central Highlands of Victoria, Australia, and a hobby farm with their many pets just outside of Daylesford.

"Hi, my name is Emma Tomkins. I have been a veterinarian for 24 years and have pretty much seen most things that can happen to animals (unfortunately!). When I started to see and hear about the crisis in Ukraine my heart absolutely broke. To see people leaving their homes, scurrying along in the cold, clutching a suitcase in one hand and their beloved animal in the other was terrible. Despite human corridors being set up, those fleeing were still bombed, shot at, and some did not make it. Others were forced to leave their pets and farm animals at home to take their chances. Unfortunately, the invasion has not ended quickly and these animals are now starving, injured, weakened by parasites and breeding uncontrollably. They need our help. Humans got them into this mess and those of us who have compassion and can help, SHOULD help! If we all do what we can, even in a tiny way, the animals can be saved and helped to find loving families outside of the conflict zone".

"When I tell people that I am going to Ukraine to work alongside Vets in a country at war, most have either called me brave or stupid. I am neither. I am scared. But my need to do the right thing and help these injured and starving animals trumps everything else. With your help, we can do this. Thank you" Pauline

Why Ukraine?

We are both devastated by the crisis in Ukraine. We wanted to help in some way and knew that our passion for animal welfare and experience and skills in veterinary medicine and nursing was something that we could offer.

We contacted Worldwide Vets, one of the international organisations providing free food and veterinary care for all animals in Ukraine, and for those who are leaving and taking their animals with them. There are many animals that have been left behind. They are starving, have extensive parasite issues, have shrapnel wounds, phosphorus and standard burns, and unchecked breeding. In addition, Ukraine has one of the highest rates of rabies in the world.

Most of the people living in small towns left in terror when the bombs started dropping. No doubt grieving all of their losses including their beloved pets. Although some stayed to care for their animals, they have no food for themselves or the animals.

Worldwide Vets works with organisations that do food drops behind the front lines and retrieve animals for them to treat. Many of these animals are treated in Ukraine while others are taken over the border into Romania or Poland. Rescued animals are desexed, microchipped, and vaccinated in order to pass the EU certification for travel. They are then rehomed all over Europe.

There has also been a rescue mission to an abandoned Zoo to rescue starving lions.

What will we be doing?

We need to be available for anything and everything, but broadly we will be:

• Providing healthcare to canines and felines

• Helping to sterilise animals in the shelter

• Help to develop the confidence and skillset of newly graduated onsite Ukrainian vets

Where will we be?

We will be staying in Vinnytsia is a small town with low military action, although Airstrike missiles targeted the city centre in February and July. Vinnytsia is 6 hours from the frontline of the war.

How will the funds be used?

Worldwide Vets provide food, dormitory accommodation, and transfers to Ukraine from the Romanian border, six hours away.

We hope to raise enough money to cover the cost of our return flights to Suceava in Romania and the required travel vaccinations.

Ongoing Support

We have a list of medications and supplies that Worldwide Vets need pretty desperately, and with the approach of winter in the northern hemisphere, roads to the small villages will be impassable. Volunteers are currently organising stockpiles of food to these small towns that are each hosting hundreds of stray animals. Our ongoing mission, apart from the veterinary work, will be to support the stockpiling of food and continually ship any donated or purchased supplies with remaining funds.