\n Ukrainian vet Nataliya Mazur cradles Murzik, a big green-eyed tabby, in her arms at a makeshift animal rescue shelter in Kyiv.\n<\/p>\n
\n The three-year-old cat comes from Bucha, a suburb of the Ukrainian capital now synonymous with alleged Russian war crimes since Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine nearly four months ago.\n<\/p>\n
\n \"His owner in Bucha survived shelling and the occupation,\" Mazur explains. \"But eventually she died. She couldn't endure the situation.\"\n<\/p>\n
\n Murzik's fate is shared by animals across the country, who have suffered alongside humans since Russia invaded on February 24 despite great lengths to save them.\n<\/p>\n
\n Footage of Ukrainian civilians evacuating their devastated homes with their beloved dogs and cats in their arms went viral at the start of the conflict.\n<\/p>\n
\n But like people who stayed behind, animals have been killed or wounded by Russian shelling. Many have lost their homes or owners.\n<\/p>\n
\n Other pets have been lucky. Rescued by civilians or soldiers and brought to shelters like Mazur's to be fed and cared for, they have a chance of a new life and potentially new owners.\n<\/p>\n
\n - New homes -\n<\/p>\n
\n Since Mazur set up her temporary shelter at the end of March in southern Kyiv, 132 animals from the region around the capital and the east -- the current epicentre of the fighting -- have lived here.\n<\/p>\n
\n Ninety-seven of them have already found new owners, a sign perhaps of the human need for positivity and kindness to offset the bleakness of war.\n<\/p>\n
\n There are currently 19 dogs and nine cats in the sanctuary, some jumping about and barking, others curled up in their enclosures.\n<\/p>\n
\n A dark dog lies peacefully on a rug.\n<\/p>\n
\n The paper card attached to his wooden door says his name is Kai.\n<\/p>\n
\n He is seven and he arrived on April 19 from Borodianka -- a northwest suburb of Kyiv where Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused the Russians of atrocities \"much more horrific\" even than Bucha.\n<\/p>\n
\n Kai has been de-flead and has a good appetite.\n<\/p>\n
\n - Need for care -\n<\/p>\n
\n \"When the war began, the number of homeless pets shot up,\" says Mazur, who also heads Kyiv's animal hospital.\n<\/p>\n
\n \"We set up this shelter with the help of the Kyiv authorities and volunteers, to look after pets and help find them new families.\"\n<\/p>\n
\n It is housed in one of the pavilions of a open-air exhibition centre.\n<\/p>\n
\n Volunteers come and go, inspecting the animals, feeding them and taking them for walks around the grassy grounds.\n<\/p>\n
\n \"If the pet has lost its owner and remained in a place where there's fighting and explosions, then first of all it needs socialisation,\" Mazur explains.\n<\/p>\n
\n \"They're used to being with humans, so they need tenderness and care. They need someone to sit and talk to them.\"\n<\/p>\n
\n Animals have also helped the war effort, some famous in Ukraine for their unusual abilities.\n<\/p>\n
\n - 'Love animals' -\n<\/p>\n
\n A Jack Russell called Patron rose to nationwide renown for helping sappers demine areas recaptured from Russian forces.\n<\/p>\n
\n Patron, who has more than 290,000 followers on Instagram, received a medal for Dedicated Service from Zelensky in May and was awarded a special prize at the Cannes Film Festival the same month.\n<\/p>\n
\n In the Kyiv shelter, volunteers shower the animals with affection.\n<\/p>\n
\n \"My wife and I love animals very much,\" Dmytro Popov tells AFP, after walking a small dog with a fluffy tail across the park.\n<\/p>\n
\n \"We want a dog, but we're not allowed to have one in our rented apartment. So, we decided to come here and help as much as we can,\" the 28-year-old botanist smiles.\n<\/p>\n
\n Earlier in the day, another two dogs were picked up by their new owners.\n<\/p>\n
\n \"I've been friends with dogs since I was a child,\" 31-year-old volunteer Yuriy Manko says.\n<\/p>\n
\n \"I don't know what will happen tomorrow, but I want to keep coming here.\"<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Ukrainian vet Nataliya Mazur cradles Murzik, a big green-eyed tabby, in her arms at a makeshift animal rescue shelter in Kyiv. The three-year-old cat comes from Bucha, a suburb of the Ukrainian capital now synonymous with alleged Russian war crimes since Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine nearly four months ago. \"His owner in Bucha […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":60,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[553],"tags":[],"ji_location":[],"class_list":["post-102124","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-live-feed"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n