While many of us were settling in for a well-deserved break over the Christmas and New Year period, the mission with Nowzad Ukraine didn't stop for a single second. As we kick off the first proper working week of 2026, we wanted to share exactly what our team has been up to on the frontlines there.

Nowzad’s very own Vet Tech "Wonder Woman" Angela has spent the last few weeks in the heart of the conflict zones in Ukraine. Operating in the Mykolaiv and Nikopol regions, she has been working tirelessly to vaccinate stray and abandoned dogs and cats — many of which have been taken in by kind-hearted locals or rescued into shelters.

Working in Nikopol is a sobering reminder of the risks our team takes. Located right on the Dnipro River and under constant threat, the environment is incredibly hostile.

Clad in full body armour, Angela and an accompanying medic got the job done while their drone detector flagged nearly 20 threats along the way. To avoid being spotted by Russian sights, the team also had to navigate treacherous, icy backroads instead of the main roads, requiring nerves of steel.

The local community spirit was nothing short of inspiring, too, with even the local priest on standby, ready to assist if Angela and our team ran into trouble. Witnessing such raw solidarity in a time of crisis is a truly humbling experience. 

A Milestone Since the Kherson Floods

Since the devastating Kherson dam collapse in June 2023, the Nowzad team has significantly scaled up its vaccination efforts across Ukraine. As of today, we are so proud to announce that Angela has vaccinated a whopping 3,427 animals against rabies in the past 2.5 years!

We’re beyond proud to have Angela on our team. Her bravery, dedication, and refusal to let the "impossible" stop her are the reasons thousands of animals are safe and healthy today.

As we look ahead into 2026, our resolve is stronger than ever. Thank you for standing with us and making this life-saving work possible!

For more details on our work, download our Nowzad Lviv Annual Reports (in English and Ukrainian) at: https://www.nowzad.com/our-work/nowzad-ukraine