The stories of Ukrainian refugees are heartbreaking. Such is the story of 35-year-old Alisa.
Kiyv flees
On February 23, Alisa unexpectedly lost her 59-year-old father. The next day, Russia invaded Ukraine. While many people fled Kiyv, Alisa and her husband tried everything they could to bury her father. Unfortunately, this was not possible due to the chaos in Ukraine, the body of the man is still in the morgue.
Alisa works for a German company and when they offer her help to leave Ukraine, she and her family flee to the Polish border. “We left Kiyv in a small Peugeot 307,” she says. “We were nine people in total: me, my mother, my sister, our two husbands, four children and two dogs.” One of the dogs is the German Shepherd Pulya, who is already 12 years old.
Crying from the cold
“We drove 16 hours to a village about 140 kilometers from Kiyv,” says Alisa. At the border with Poland, however, there was such a big traffic jam that they had to stay in the car for the first three to five days. The family therefore decided to cover the remaining 17 kilometers on foot. “It was -7 degrees. My children cried from the cold. I also cried, but I couldn’t give up. It was my idea to go to the border.”
Not only did the family struggle with the arduous journey, but so did Alisa’s elderly dog. He often fell and had trouble getting up. Alisa asked for help from motorists, but they told them to leave the dogs behind. She couldn’t bring herself to do that. “Our dogs are part of our family. And my mom’s dog, Kolt, is all she has from her past life.”
bear dog
Alisa’s husband therefore carried the dog for 17 kilometers to the Polish border, where he then had to say goodbye to his beloved. “I have lost a lot. I lost my father and I had to leave my husband at the border. My heart is broken because I’ve never been without him,” says Alisa.
Alisa’s husband carrying Pulya, their 12-and-a-half-year-old dog, to the border with Poland.
Photograph: Alisa /Guardian Community pic.twitter.com/SXfMWTPAnf
— Ticia Verveer (@Ticia_Verveer) March 10, 2022
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She doesn’t know yet what her plan is: stay in Poland or travel on to Germany like her colleagues. She preferred to be in Ukraine, with her husband and deceased father. “When I can return to Ukraine, my father will have the best possible funeral.”
Online people empathize with Alissa and her family. They let it be known that they would do exactly the same for their four-legged friend. “The dog is part of the family, you don’t leave it behind,” it is written en masse.
To donate
Unfortunately, many pets have lost their owners due to the war in Ukraine. The Silver Foundation is committed to these creatures. The foundation is in close contact with the Ukrainian shelter Shelter Friends and ensures that the money ends up in the right place. More information about the foundation and how to donate can be found here†
Source: The Guardian