Home on outskirts of Kyiv could close if donations, funding sources are not found soon.
Stray animals in modern-day Ukraine are, tragically, treated no better than in barbaric medieval times. But at least 1,500 dogs and 200 cats in the Kyiv area have a fighting chance at life – at least for now. But without the continued support of volunteers and donations, these creatures may be homeless again soon.
These animals are now living the Pirogova SOS shelter on the outskirts of Kyiv. It was founded in 1997 on the site of a slaughterhouse for stray animals clubbed or viciously beaten to death there previously.
The SOS shelter started with private funding from Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Great Britain. That support continued until last year, when the foreign donors cut their support. Ukrainians have, however, not yet filled the void and the shelter is in a precarious state.
The American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine helped out on Nov. 26 by organizing a volunteer effort called “Who let the dogs out?” It is one of the organization’s corporate social-responsibility events. Members of the business organization brought food, medicine and other necessary items. They helped paint the fences. They played with animals. And they discussed possibilities of assistance.
Tragic history
“It used to be a slaughterhouse. Homeless animals were clubbed here, beaten to death with metal sticks. Some were skinned, while still alive,” said Tamara Tarnavska, the director and founder of the SOS shelter.
In 1996, the then-journalist Tarnavska – together with a German colleague – made a documentary about barbaric executions in Pirogovo. “Can any country in Europe, with such inhumane treatment of animals, be called civilized?” they asked. In 1997, when foreigners in Europe saw how injured, starving stray animals in Ukraine were treated, the response was swift.
“The mayors of Manic and Leipzig stated they would reconsider relations with Kyiv if the inhumane treatment is not stopped,” Tarnarvka said. “We collected 3.5 million letters from Europe, requesting to a shutdown of the slaughterhouse. Many famous people, including [actress] Brigitte Bardot, United Nations officials supported us.”
The Kyiv City Administration finally shut down the slaughterhouse in Pirogovo and gave its premises rent-free to “SOS” for a shelter and veterinary clinic for 49 years. Initial donations came from abroad, including the actress Bardot, but also from Ukrainians such as First Lady Kateryna Yushchenko.
Dire straits
Without any government support, the SOS shelter managed to sterilize and vaccinate more than 15,000 homeless animals in 12 years, which prevented an estimated 700,000 additional stray animals on the streets of Kyiv and regionally.
Today, almost 2,000 SOS animals are taken care of by 10 devoted employees. They are so dedicated that they work to care for thousands of abandoned animals, without so much as the comfort of a toilet.
“We don’t have weekends or holidays,” said Nataliya Mohneva, the center’s administrator. “We work 24/7, all year long.”
The shelter has little heat, few lights and no running water; fuel, water, and electricity are in short supply. The salaries are low. In short, the SOS is on the verge of collapse.
“Our annual budget is $63,000 to survive and we need about $75-$80,000 for a decent existence,” Tarnavska said. “If we had decent financing, we could sterilize most of the dogs on the streets of Kyiv and get rid of the problem in several years. But if there is no problem, not so much funding is required, nothing to steal from the city budget.”
An estimated 15,000 stray dogs are on the streets of Kyiv today; most are harmless, some are diseased and violent. Many animal lovers fear that Ukraine will resort to inhumane methods to eradicate the population.
“I don’t exclude the possibility that such brutal and primitive methods exist, because it’s almost impossible to legally punish somebody for inhumane treatment against animals in Ukraine,” said Olha Drozdova, director of municipal enterprise Dog Shelter in Borodianka.
The SOS shelter has recently made another movie about a slaughterhouse in Luhansk and is ready to present it in Europe. “We had already exhausted all resources in Ukraine to fight the problem of inhuman treatment of stray animals. Nobody reacts. Nobody cares,” Tarnavska said.
Well, not everybody is indifferent. The American Chamber of Commerce of Ukraine volunteers are looking for ways to keep the shelter and its animals alive.
“The American Chamber of Commerce unites the biggest companies and biggest enterprises in Ukraine,” said Oksana Ivanchenko of Microsoft Ukraine. “I hope we can consolidate our resources and help the shelter.”
If shelters like these become fewer in number, the stray animal problem in Kyiv will only grow.
How to help: SOS needs food, medical supplies, disinfectants, detergents, freezers. The shelter is located 10 minutes from the outskirts of Kyiv at Krasnoznamennaya Street, Pirogovo village, Kyiv. Telephone: +38 (050) 447-61-07; +38 (044) 569-33-46. Donations can be made at: account ¹ 26004301242846, Prominvest Bank, Kyiv office. More than anything, these animals need human love – and adoption. Visit SOS and you may find a new member of your family. http://sos-animals.com.ua/index.php
