First Steps
If you see a pet that seems disoriented and scared, there are several steps to effectively help the animal. First, you need to give the pet some water to make sure it's not dehydrated. If you can clearly tell that the animal is homeless, it's better to take it to the vet immediately to scan for possible infections or traumas.
If the animal looks well-kept and doesn't show signs of illness, it might be someone's lost pet. In this case, taking the dog or cat to the vet isn't as urgent but may help with finding the owners via scanning. Some pets have microchips or tattoos that indicate ownership. In the meantime, you can check the "Lost Pets" section on Happy Paw charity organization website to see if the found pet matches the photo and description.
Creating similar posts on social networks is a good idea as well. Make sure to leave all necessary information: date and time when you found the pet, the location, its current location, your contact number and, of course, a photo in good quality. If the owners haven't contacted you and there's no way to keep the pet, you can also find a temporary owner via social networks. Before giving away the animal, visit the future owner's accommodation to make sure the conditions are decent and the pet will receive good care.
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In case the animal you found displays obvious signs of illness, you can contact an ambulance service for stray dogs called IHELP.DOG. The volunteers of this project are ready to provide vet help and to sterilize homeless dogs for free. Another volunteer service is Kyiv Animal Rescue Group, which is ready to help animals that are stuck in cramped places and provide emergency care. The rescued animal is then hospitalized in a suitable vet clinic.
Vet Clinics
Numerous Kyiv vet clinics deal with disoriented and hurt homeless animals almost daily. Here are the two most often-visited vets:
- The Center of Modern Veterinary Medicine was founded in 2000; it uses cutting-edge equipment to provide the most effective help for each animal they hospitalize. The center works 24/7 and accepts house-calls as well. Animals can receive help from surgeons, cardiologists, gastroenterologists, ophthalmologists and even psychologist, especially crucial for lost pets. The center has 10 facilities located in different districts of Kyiv. The full list can be accessed at the center’s website.
- Dobrodiy veterinary clinic has been providing high-quality medical service for animals of Kyiv for almost 20 years. Apart from vet help, Dobrodiy also offers a grooming service and has a store. The clinic is located at 6/2, Krutyi Descent.
You can check the full list of vet clinics in Kyiv on Petadvisor, which includes animal ER and 24/7 emergency veterinary clinics of the city.
Shelters in/near Kyiv
Although animal volunteers recommend avoiding giving away found animals to shelters, sometimes it’s the only possible way. At the moment, Kyiv and Kyiv region have several popular and well-financed centers that provide good care for animals and make everything necessary to find new loving owners.
Happy Paw charity fund is by far one of the most well-known charity organizations that help animals in Ukraine. Ever since its foundation in 2012, it has been supporting shelters, advocating humane treatment of homeless animals. The fund has its own shelter, where visitors are welcome to become guardians for beloved pets as well as adopt them. Happy Paw has unique souvenir products like pillows, socks and cups with animal prints. All profit is directed to supporting homeless animals.
Address: 44, Shota Rustaveli Street; happypaw.ua/en/
Kyiv Society for the Protection of Animals shelter is located in Hostomel and is most commonly known as Hostomel animal shelter. Each month, up to 20 new animals find their home in the shelter. Unfortunately, only around 5 animals are adopted by the new owners.
Address: 231, Svyato-Pokrovska Street, Hostomel; animalprotect.org/en/
Sirius animal shelter was founded in 2000 and took care of more than 4000 animals during years of its work. The shelter has changed its address many times, and now it is located in Fedirivka village not far from Kyiv. It is by far one of the most popular and important charity organizations in Ukraine. The shelter accepts donations on the website or via Privat Bank payment card: 4149 6258 1400 5953, Mezinova Aleksandra.
Address: Fedirivka village, Vyshgorod region, Kyiv oblast; dogcat.com.ua/en/
Photo sources: shutterstock.com, unsplash.com. All images belong to their rightful authors.
