KYIV HOMELESS PETS FACING MASSACRE?

Christian Janacz of Austria feels quite at home at Kyiv’s Shelter for Abandoned Animals on Pirogov St.

Taking a leash, he unlocks a cage and leads out this hairy handsome fellow, a Caucasian shepherd (somewhat like a kuvazs, but heavier). The dog was brought to the shelter with its eyes almost completely covered by a purulent film. Conjunctivitis. Of course, he cannot relate his sad story. A pure breed, someone must have owned him, then just left him...

The capital’s only shelter for abandoned animals is run on foreign money donated by enthusiasts from Austria, Germany, Great Britain, Switzerland, and France. On weekends the place is visited by diplomats and officials from international organizations bringing their families dressed in overalls. They come, roll up their sleeves and start working, cleaning the cages and building little homes for their four-legged friends.

The shelter was organized by “SOS-Ukraine”, the society for the protection of animals headed by Tamara Tarnawski, a Norwegian Ukrainian. As a UN-accredited journalist in Geneva, she spent 25 years abroad. Three years ago she urged Western animal rescuers and the media to fight the ill-famed dogcatcher’s pound wagon. They won: a year ago the capital’s knacker’s yard was closed and an animal shelter set up. Its program includes sterilization and return to the original habitat. By denying stray dogs and cats the chance to multiply city streets will be clean of strays in 7-10 years.

At present, however, the shelter’s activists are alarmed. Word has spread that up to 30,000 abandoned animals will be destroyed in Kyiv in view of the forthcoming prestigious EBRD board of governors’ convention. International animal protection organizations will press their bankers to refuse to attend unless the matter is resolved in a more civilized way.

Photo courtecy SOS archives:
Christian Janacz, Austrian animal rights advocate