Timeline of our activities and achievements
Mission to help mistreated bears in Ukraine
When FOUR PAWS began its work in Ukraine in 2012, the abuse of bears in dog fights was still legal. Although the cruel practice of bear-baiting was legally banned in 2015 thanks to campaigning by FOUR PAWS and local animal rights activists, several bears today still live on hunting stations and are exposed to the danger of being used as fighting bears to train hounds. In addition, over 40 bears are kept in other poor housing conditions and suffer in small cages beside restaurants or hotels and in substandard private zoos.
What FOUR PAWS Has Achieved So Far:
November 2024
Two young brown bears were rescued from Zoopark Bilyts'ke, a private zoo located only ten kilometers from the current frontline of the war in Ukraine. The park was hit severely by missiles which jeopardized the lives of the animals and caused immense suffering. The team from Wild Animal Rescue risked grave danger to rescue two brown bears trapped in the facility. The female bear was transported first to the White Rock Shelter, a facility of the Save Wild Fund near Kyiv before she was moved to our BEAR SANCTUARY Domazhyr. Meanwhile, the male bear was evacuated from the zoo and directly transferred to Domazhyr. Learn more about the bears' new life at the sanctuary.
September 2022
Brown bear Bakhmut was found by the Ukrainian military in a private backyard in war-torn Donetsk region. At first, the military took care of him but after a few days, they had not enough food for him. They contacted our local partner organizations Wild Animal Rescue (WAR) and UAnimals, who asked FOUR PAWS to take in the bear. An urgent rescue mission was set up to bring Bakhmut to BEAR SANCTUARY Domazhyr.
March 2022
Brown bear Vova grew up feeling the cold, hard concrete floor under his paws. Locked up in the tiny concrete cage, he was exploited as a restaurant bear in the Khmelnitsky region in Western Ukraine. For years, FOUR PAWS explored all legal means to rescue Vova, but there was no case for confiscation. Finally, on 23rd March, after a call from the authorities FOUR PAWS freed Vova and transferred him to BEAR SANCTUARY Domazhyr. He now feels the soft grass under his paws and is adapting to his new forever home incredibly well. Read his full story here.
August 2021
Martha was born into a life of endless exploitation. As a young bear, she was forced to perform in a circus and later sold to a restaurant owner in Dobrivlyany, Ukraine. For 13 years, she lived in a dismal 15m² concrete cage. When her owner's health began to decline, he voluntarily surrendered her to FOUR PAWS. In the early morning of 30th August, our rescue team arrived to bring Martha to her forever home at BEAR SANCTUARY Domazhyr. Read about Martha's new life here.
August 2021
In August 2021, the Ukrainian Law "On the protection of animals from cruelty” was legally amended by the extension of Article 25. It bans the keeping and usage of bears, lions, tigers, and some other wild animal species in restaurants, hotels, resorts, night clubs, private houses, apartments, and yards for certain entertainment / leisure purposes. The respective changes have been introduced by the newly adopted Law 2351 and become effective in November 2021.
July 2021
Three bear cubs named Jenny, Toby and Moris have been transferred to our to BEAR SANCTUARY Domazhyr to begin their new lives. The bears were rescued from a petting zoo in Ukraine were they had been cruelly used as props for photos and for petting sessions with zoo visitors. After being kept temporarily at the WHITE ROCK Bear Shelter, they were moved to our sanctuary.
June 2021
For years, FOUR PAWS worked tirelessly to end the cruel keeping of bears at the hotel & restaurant Edelweiß in Skole, Ukraine. After the successful rescue of bears Lelya and Dasha in 2019 and Frol and Frosia in 2020, we were finally able to also help bears Sirko and Ruta. These two bears had spent their entire lives in a barren cage to attract visitors. Not only were Sirko and Ruta rescued, but there was also another bear to rescue at the location, their young cub Andor. Thankfully, all three bears were rescued and began their new lives at our BEAR SANCTUARY Domazhyr.
December 2020
The requirements for the keeping of wild animals have been improved by the Ministry of Environmental Protection (MENR) and came into force in December 2020. From now on, bears as well as big cats must be provided with a minimal space requirement of 200 m² (before it was just 30 m²). Although these conditions remain inadequate, they give FOUR PAWS more room to rescue further bears in need.
November 2020
For Frol and Frosia, life meant sitting inside the rusty bars of a dark cage in the Lviv Region. The two brown bears were born here, at a hotel and restaurant in 2018, intended as an attraction for customers. When the hotel/restaurant finally closed its doors for good, we were given the green light, and beautiful Frol & Frosia were able to be rescued. It was the start of a new life at our BEAR SANCTUARY Domazhyr!
September 2020
FOUR PAWS has been fighting for a long time to rescue Leo and Melanka. Finally, we were able to transfer them to our BEAR SANCTUARY Domazhyr. Read the whole story here!
August 2020
Rescue Anya and Frankie: Read the story of two bears, ages 5 and 6, who could start a new life at BEAR SANCTUARY Domazhyr.
November 2019
12-year-old male bear Misha was one of Ukraine’s #SaddestBears. He was kept on a hunting station where he was most likely abused for bear-baiting. Now he can live a happy life in our BEAR SANCTUARY Domazhyr.
October 2019
FOUR PAWS has successfully rescued two female brown bears on October 29th in Ukraine and transferred them to BEAR SANCTUARY Domazhyr near Lviv. Dasha and Lelya were previously kept as a tourist attraction at a hotel and restaurant in Skole.
February 2019
Former fighting bear Laska is successfully transferred to BEAR SANCTUARY Domazhyr on February 28th. For years Laska lived in intolerable conditions in the run-down Pokrovsk Zoo close to the city of Donetsk. We were able to verify she was previously kept as a fighting bear and abused for the training of hunting dogs.
January 2019
FOUR PAWS transfers the management of BEAR RESCUE CENTRE Nadiya to the local NGO "Save Wild Fund." All bears rescued by FOUR PAWS were transferred to BEAR SANCTUARY Domazhyr in 2017 and 2018.
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July 2018
FOUR PAWS rescues fighting bear Kvitka.
April 2018
FOUR PAWS demands the prohibition of bears on hunting stations and submits 104,313 signatures to the Ukrainian government.
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October 2017
Tyson is the first fighting bear to move into BEAR SANCTUARY Domazhyr.
July 2017
FOUR PAWS rescues "restaurant bear" Potap, who becomes BEAR SANCTUARY Domazhyr's first resident.
May 2016
Construction work begins on BEAR SANCTUARY Domazhyr.
2015
Together with other local NGOs, FOUR PAWS succeeds in obtaining a nationwide ban on the use of bears to fight dogs. However, keeping bears on hunting stations remains legal.
June 2014
FOUR PAWS signs a cooperation agreement with the Lviv regional administration with the goal of constructing a bigger bear sanctuary in Western Ukraine. BEAR RESCUE CENTRE Nadiya no longer has capacity to admit new bears.
2013
FOUR PAWS rescues Masha, the first fighting bear, and brings her to BEAR RESCUE CENTRE Nadiya.
2012
FOUR PAWS builds BEAR RESCUE CENTRE Nadiya close to the city of Zhytomyr (and houses two bear cubs there saved from the illegal wildlife trade).