Polish veterinarian Jakub Kotowicz crossed the border from Poland into Ukraine last week on a mission to save as many animals as possible from war zones.
Rescuing animals from Ukraine: Polish vet Jakub Kotowicz crossed into Ukraine to rescue 200 cats and 60 dogs trapped by Russian invasion
Kotowics and his team departed Przemyśl with two cars at midday on Tuesday and returned at 3am with 200 cats, 60 dogs and other animals including a pygmy goat. He said he has not slept for five days following the mission.
Among the animals Kotowicz has rescued so far are a pygmy goat with diseased legs, a Sphinx cat wearing a knitted jumper, a seven-year-old dog that had a bullet lodged in her spine, and a Chihuahua mother and puppy pair. The animals will be taken care of thanks to ADA Foundation, an animal rescue and care charity Kotowicz founded when he was 17 years old.
“All the cats are very stressed, the journey from Lviv is one day and we crossed the border with a diplomatic pass but the queue from Ukraine was very long,” Kotowicz told The Independent.
Volunteers from all around the world have arrived in Poland to help care for the rescued animals, some as far away as Denmark, Canada, and the U.S.
Following the recovery, the rescued animals will be prepared for adoption, however, the ADA is hoping to reunite pets with their original owners. So far two cats of the rescued animals founded in Ukraine have been reunited with their owners.
“The animals which are in very poor condition will be with us for two or three months,” the vet explained. Nevertheless, the vet plans on rescuing more animals from Ukraine, and asks the public to adopt the animals who are ready to leave the facility in order to make room for more.