FAQs on Animals and the War in Ukraine

The desperate situation for animals in Ukraine, what PETA entities are doing to help and how you can get involved:

What’s the situation for animals and what is PETA doing to help?

Humans and other animals in Ukraine are deeply traumatised. Many desperate people are fleeing to neighbouring countries, but some have been forced to abandon their beloved animal companions on the streets or at borders, as they didn’t have the paperwork for them to enter an EU country. PETA Germany has a team on the border between Poland and the Ukraine to support people, their companions, and stray animals, as well as helping with paperwork and taking them to safety. Shortly after PETA’s European entities appealed to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the Commission recommended that countries make it easier for people to enter with their animal companions. Mercifully, many have done so. But the situation on the ground at the border is still confusing and changes almost by the hour. PETA Germany is doing all it can to rescue all animals, including those who are homeless or waiting in shelters, and provide food and vital care.

Follow our live updates on the rescue mission in Ukraine.

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How can I help right now, and can I donate animal food, bedding, and other supplies?

The best and fastest way to help those in need is by donating money. PETA Germany is coordinating a delivery of over 20 tonnes of companion animal food to Ukraine and already planning to send more. But importing goods is very complex and subject to strict regulations, which still apply during the war, so helping financially is the fastest and most effective way you can support our work on the ground. This is being carried out through PETA’s Global Compassion Fund, which you can donate to here.

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Can I adopt animals from Ukraine?

So far, the UK has not relaxed entry requirements for animals coming from Ukraine, but PETA UK is pressing the government to do so. Details on how you can add your voice to those demanding the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs allow all refugee animals in as well as current entry requirements for each country can be found here. If homeless animals do arrive in the UK, local shelters will be the best place to contact – but for anyone who has the time, love, and resources to adopt, plenty of loving animals are longing for a home in UK shelters right now.

Can I offer a home to a family and their animal companions?

Contact your local authority to make this offer, and it should be able to help.

Can I help at the border?

PETA Germany urgently advises against it. The situation at the border is confusing, changing daily, and made worse by people trying to reach the area. Many kilometres of traffic jams are constantly building up. The best way to help animals and the team on the ground is by making a donation here.

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What’s happening to animals rescued from Ukraine, and what about those left behind?

Fortunately, PETA Germany has managed to save some animals from the war zone. Working with partners in Poland and Romania, it has arranged for these animals to be placed in loving homes safely and legally and for their vaccinations, blood tests, and any required quarantine to be carried out. PETA Germany urges people not to abandon their animals and to keep their whole family together by taking animal companions with them if they flee.

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The temporary rules for taking animals across the borders to different countries are listed here and regularly updated – please share this link so that refugees can easily access the information they need. Along with animal rights activists working inside Ukraine, PETA entities are doing all they can to keep as many animals as possible safe from harm at this terrible time.

Entry Requirements for People Bringing Animals