Ukraine Support

Witnessing the illegal invasion of Ukraine by Russia in February of 2022 and the subsequent death and destruction that followed, the Nowzad charity knew we had to act.

Whilst humanitarian agencies swiftly moved to support the millions of Ukrainians forced to flee, there was limited support for the animal shelters that had no choice but to remain in place along with the courageous locals who decided to stay and continue to care for the stray dogs and cats that had become accustomed to their care, even though it meant great personal risk for the Ukrainians who stayed.

Sadly we watched as other welfare groups leapt into the fray and immediately commenced transporting, on masse, dogs and cats out of Ukraine and into western Europe. We quickly realised that whilst this was done with the upmost of good intentions, it put an unsustainable pressure on animal shelters in Europe that already had their own stray dog and cat issues. With no outlet for adoptions (the UK, Germany and US to name a few, soon banned the import of dogs and cats from Ukraine, Romania and Hungary), once it was realised that most rescues had not followed the correct vaccination process. Always the threat of rabies and other diseases must be the priority.

Nowzad has always maintained that supporting the animal shelters and animal welfare volunteers in Ukraine was the way forward and our mission in Ukraine reflects that. Nowzad will review the situation constantly, and if circumstances allow us to offer some dogs and cats forever homes in the United Kingdom (where we always remain responsible for those animals), then we may change our policy.

To complement our supply chain, firstly we were required to implement a staging post in eastern Poland in Przemyśl, where all donated supplies of dog and cat food, medical supplies including vaccinations and microchips and humanitarian support for the shelter teams and volunteers, mostly based out of Kyiv, could be proceeded and packed ready to cross the border into Ukraine.

A team from Nowzad travelled to Ukraine and witnessed first hand the appalling atrocities that were being carried out by the Russian military. The devastation and horror was plain to see.

We also decided to address the extremely small office we had called home in the UK for the last 15 years and move to a large purpose built warehouse / office facility that could cope with the demands of storing and managing 15 tonnes of dog and cat food destined for Ukraine.

Nowzad has formed a charitable fund in Ukraine; ‘Nowzad Liviv’ which currently employs two Ukrainian nationals at our warehouse situated on the outskirts of Lviv, to finalise the distribution onwards to the most needed shelters and volunteer groups within the east of the country.

We have been supporting two animal shelters in the central and far eastern regions of Ukraine, both damaged by missile and rocket attacks. In October 2023, Pen and the team travelled to both sites with building supplies and equipment, veterinary aid and a lot of combined “manpower” to build dog kennels and runs, and facilities for rescued cats, as well as implement vaccination and de-worming regimes and local veterinary training on TNVR. Nowzad has also been supporting the veterinary faculty at Lviv University by providing training (in partnership with AWAMO) on basic animal first aid and the use of a newly-developed animal electronic ID system.

Nowzad has also supported a mass TNVR campaign in Ukraine with microchips and a grant for surgical equipment and medical supplies to support the campaign.

Nowzad is committed to Ukraine during this war and after when dedicated support will be need to rebuild the capacity for providing animal welfare support within the country.

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Annual Reports

Maryna Vasylynenko / 09 July 2026

/ Categories: Ukraine Shelter Stories

Service dogs

Since the start of the full-scale invasion, NOWZAD has provided invaluable assistance in supplying food for the service dogs. Thanks to this support, it has been possible to ensure the proper upkeep and feeding of 660 dogs in correctional institutions and remand centres in the frontline regions (Odesa, Mykolaiv, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Dnipro, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Sumy, and Kyiv), where service conditions remain particularly challenging. Their help is a significant contribution to maintaining the operational readiness of canine units and the security of the state.

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Emergency Appeals

Nowzad - Ukraine

Ukraine Support

Annual Reports

Service dogs

Annual Reports