Help Ukrainian Shelter Dogs

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The IAABC and IAABC Foundation are asking our community to help the pets lost, injured, and forced to be left behind as they wait to be reunited with their families, or rehomed to new families offering them safety.

Through constant fear, sleeplessness, and threat to life, Marina Bolokhovets has stayed in Ukraine to continue feeding and caring for the animals in her shelter, Shelter Friend, in Dnepropetrovsk City. This is near the airport, and is barraged by nearby bombings. The animals and their caretakers are living in terror, with little food, water, and heat. Marina is networking with organizations throughout Europe, including in Poland, to place animals in loving homes.

Your donation will be granted directly to Małopolska Organizacja na Rzecz Natury in Poland and Shelter Friend in Ukraine who are even now helping hundreds of animals desperately in need.

March 29, 2022, Update #4, Closing Shelter Friend-Specific Campaign - FUNDRAISING WILL CONTINUE 

On March 1st the IAABC Foundation and IAABC made a joint plea to our community to help our colleagues in Ukraine and neighboring nations.. A peaceful country found its citizens suddenly fighting for their lives, and devoted rescue workers began efforts to help the pets and their caregivers affected by the sudden, terrible aggression.

In support of those rescuers, we set what we thought was a high bar of $30,000, raising the bar quickly to $40,000 as donations began to generously flow in. As I write this letter, our incredible community has donated nearly $50,000 to help the dogs, cats, parrots, and their caregivers in Ukraine and Poland.

Individuals have given amounts from $10 to $1,000, all equally important to the cause. Schools, educators and businesses have held course fundraisers, people have shared the campaign on their social media and gotten the word out far and wide, and we have seen what is the best in people at a time when it would be easy to see only the tragedy facing us.

We are absolutely humbled and overwhelmed with gratitude and appreciation for all you have done. The IAABC Foundation has so far been able to send out three grants to animal rescue organizations, and will continue to grant the remaining funds to these and other carefully vetted organizations directly interacting with the animals and people affected.

We will be closing this specific, joint IAABC Foundation / IAABC Shelter Friend/MORN campaign on April 2nd.

The IAABC Foundation, which is a 501(c)(3) charity, will continue to accept donations earmarked for animal rescue operations in Ukraine and neighboring countries. As the needs in the region expand, so does the focus of our donation initiative. A link to our updated donation page will be sent in a few days, and we’ll continue to share updates with you as we receive them.

Meanwhile, the dogs rescued from Lviv are finding their foster homes, lucky Vega has found a forever family in the mountains, and Uvi, the partially paralyzed girl needing multiple surgeries, is doing really well, happier and healthier by the day with all her care.

On behalf of all of us working behind the scenes for the Foundation and the Association, our deep thanks for your generosity of spirit and funds.

Please know that you have made a huge difference in many lives, avian, feline, canine, and human. Click here to see the web version of this with photos.

Marjie and Kathrine
IAABC Foundation and IAABC

March 17, 2022, Update #3

"I am not a hero. I do what I am supposed to do... We keep doing what we have to do. Thank you for your kind support. We will win." - Marina (Click here for web version with photos)

Marina continues to care for the animals at Shelter Friend - dogs, cats and even donkeys.

Last week, Marina and the other Shelter Friend volunteers who stayed behind made a journey to Kharkiv and rescued 125 dogs and 65 cats from a shelter with no caretakers left. Sadly, 350 dogs remain, just like so many other animals are trapped across Ukraine in shelters and homes with no food or water, victims of unrelenting warfare. These lucky souls are now safe in Marina's hands.

Helpers abound even in the worst of times. Rescue networks continue to persevere in the face of disaster. One dog from Marina's shelter is now in Poland safe and sound. Foster homes are priceless. More are needed.

Rescuers in Poland are doing their best to help all animals in need. Sometimes, the animals come with their humans! This little fellow traveled from a war zone with his young rescuer. He was provided bird food and a more suitable method of transport, and then sent on his way with his grateful family.

Paulina from Poland reports, "The refugees have cats in nets, dogs in their arms, rodents and birds in boxes. We are on duty there to give them food and accessories, at least for a few days."

The depth of devotion people have for their pets has no borders.

To date, we have sent $10,000 to our colleagues in Poland, $10,000 to Maryna in Ukraine. Another $5,000 is being wired to a different bank for her use. Banking is getting complicated as the war escalates, with various governmental hurdles and safeties to clear, and we're working diligently to ensure all of the money we're sending gets where it needs to go - into the hands of these dedicated heroes who are making such a difference.

You are making a difference, too! Your continued donations bring hope and possibility to places where both are in short supply. We are so proud of our community, and so grateful to call you colleagues and friends.

Our campaign will remain open as long as you are willing to keep contributing

Marjie and Kathrine
IAABC Foundation and IAABC

March 5, 2022, Update #2
To see the pictures references in this update see this link FUNDRAISER UPDATE WITH PICTURES

Our community continues to offer support and hope to the dedicated women working to help the dogs now being brought into Poland from Ukraine.

The situation in Ukraine is deteriorating terribly. Marina has evacuated her young son and the rest of her family to another country, but has chosen to stay with the dogs in her care. They and she are in mortal danger, and we can only hold our breath, and ensure that this singularly brave woman has all she needs when the shelling and hostilities against civilians finally stops, and we can get resources to her. Meanwhile, food, medicine, and cash are being rationed for people. For pets there is nothing being rationed, and so Marina is doing what she can to provide for the animals in her care.

We are keeping the resources we have raised for her secure, and are actively seeking ways to get her the help she needs as we continue to raise more, with your help.

Meanwhile in Poland, Paulina and her crew have sent some before and after pictures of dogs as they arrive from transport, and once they settled in their foster homes.

First Una, then Vega, then Fanny. [Pictures] And finally this boy. Paulina reports, “And our greatest happiness. A doggy who wanted to bite and growled after transporting everyone.Yesterday evening he went to the individual temporary home and tonight [he] is like this [Pictures]

He's a very sensitive pooch and we can see that he couldn't handle his emotions. He snarled at anyone who only approached the transporter or the cage. A hand nearby (even with food) is a reason for teeth snapping. But a moment of calm was enough and we can see that he is slowly trying to trust and needs human closeness. Such transport, however, is [such] a huge stress…”

A huge stress for dogs and humans alike. Paulina and her team are overwhelmed with your kindness and generosity, and so are we.

Thank you again for your giving hearts and caring spirits. We can’t do much, but we can do this.

We have capped our campaign at an incredible $30,000, but of course we’ll gratefully accept more donations as they come in. The need for money, food, medicine, and shelter is just beginning for all souls caught in this nightmare. We’ll of course provide further updates as we get them.

Please give what you can. And please share this campaign with your friends and contacts on social media. Every dollar counts!

With heartfelt thanks,

Marjie and Kathrine
IAABC Foundation and IAABC



March 3, 2022, Update #1

The response from our community has been nothing short of incredible. In roughly 32 hours, we’ve nearly reached our initial goal of $20,000. Our partner rescues in Europe are stunned and grateful for the outpouring of support. Thanks to your donations, we are preparing to send our first grant of $10,000 to Małopolska Organizacja na Rzecz Natury in Poland. MORN welcomed the arrival of the first puppies from Lviv, Ukraine this week.

On Tuesday Paulina reported about the surge of animals: “We distribute them among foundations here in Poland because we know that there will be more transports coming. We [kept] 6, including one female with paresis of hind legs. She immediately went to the hospital. She's a very brave dog!”

Unfortunately, the news from Ukraine is not good. The situation in Ukraine continues to deteriorate. There is still currently no way to transport animals from Shelter Friend through the war zone to safety. Nevertheless, we will be retaining $10,000 in grant money for direct distribution to Shelter Friend. Helpers in Ukraine continue to build a support network that will activate as soon as hostilities have decreased. These funds will be vital to assisting in Shelter Friend’s recovery.

Donations we receive above our initial goal will continue to be channeled to MORN and other organizations that are able to actively access rescue networks and intake animals from other regions in Ukraine.

Thank you for all you have given. We urge you to encourage your friends and social media contacts to do the same as need is so very high, and resources so incredibly scarce, even in the best of times, for these helping hands and organizations. For pictures and videos, please join our mailing list. We’re unable to add them here.

On behalf of the IAABC and the IAABC Foundation, we’d like to say we’re so proud and so honored to have this community rally around these pets and people in this time of need.

They, and we, are very lucky to count you as friends and allies.

Every dollar counts! Please give what you can.

Marjie and Kathrine
IAABC Foundation and IAABC