Late one night, two Ukrainian soldiers contacted Lachlan and Angela after finding a frightened young dog near the frontline in Kramatorsk. They wanted to get him somewhere safe. What they expected was a puppy. Instead, they found a beautiful dog around one year old, absolutely petrified by whatever he had been through. He would simply freeze in fear.
They fed him, sat with him, and reassured him overnight in their apartment. With his striking, different coloured eyes, including one crystal blue eye, Lachlan named him Bluey. This was partly because of his eye, but also as a nod to Australia, Lachlan’s home, and the children’s cartoon Bluey: a world far removed from the horrors of frontline Ukraine.
Slowly, Bluey began to trust again.
By morning, Lachlan found him asleep beside him. The tail that had not moved the night before had started wagging.
The next morning, while air raid sirens sounded and distant explosions echoed across the city, Lachlan spent hours lying beside Bluey in the courtyard of their apartment block, brushing him and helping him feel safe again.
Bluey is incredibly gentle and affectionate, but clearly carries the scars of life near the frontline.
The team have evacuated Bluey from Kramatorsk to safety in the Hostomel shelter, what we hope will be his halfway home while the next stage of his journey is planned toward a safe and loving forever home.
Bluey’s Rescue From the Frontline – Watch Here