April 29, 2022 –FOUR PAWS The global animal welfare organization delivers another twenty 20 tons of food to prevent the animals from starvation. With the tragic situation leaving large parts of the country heavily affected by war, many zoos are facing a precarious situation for both the staff and animals.

This will be in key partnership with the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB), who will transport the supplies to Kyiv via Hungary. An ÖBB train left Vienna today and will bring the food to the Hungarian-Ukrainian border. From there, trucks will further deliver the goods to Kyiv Zoo, which will distribute the supplies to six other zoos in the region.

The war in Ukraine continues without an end in sight, with the Ukrainian people and their animals still suffering from the untold tragedy and horror of the conflict. At the beginning of April, a zoo in Kharkiv was heavily damaged by shelling. Many animals suffer from stress caused by the noise of the explosions and fighting. In March, FOUR PAWS was contacted by the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources in Ukraine and requested to contribute to help deliver food to affected zoos in Ukraine. To provide some relief for the zoo animals during these challenging times, FOUR PAWS is sending 10 tonnes of pellet food and dry hay each for zoo animals, such as elephants, primates, grazers, and birds, to Kyiv Zoo. The zoo will store the food and then distribute it further to Kharkiv Zoo, Mykolayiv Zoo, Cherkassy Zoo, Odessa Zoo, Mena Zoo, and XII Months Zoo.

ÖBB spokesperson Bernd Winter says: “We are very happy to support FOUR PAWS with the delivery of the food for the animals in Ukraine. The Rail Cargo Group is ready for any kind of help related to what we do best - transport and logistic services. This way, donations – in this case food for zoo animals in Ukraine – can reach their destination safely and reliably.”

In early April, FOUR PAWS already sent a delivery of nearly 20 tons  (over 40,000 pounds) of pellet food and dry hay for wild animals to Kyiv Zoo. FOUR PAWS began working in Ukraine in 2012 through its Stray Animal Care (SAC) program, which has delivered veterinary care to 30,000 stray dogs and cats in over 60 municipalities. With the development of a FOUR PAWS office in Kyiv, and the construction and opening of BEAR SANCTUARY Domazhyr in 2017, FOUR PAWS created a species-appropriate home for rescued bears while also supporting the Ukrainian government with enforcing the ban on the cruel practice of bear baiting.

FOUR PAWS, in collaboration with local partners, is also currently helping to care for Ukrainian refugees fleeing with pets by providing vaccinations, microchipping and medical treatments, transport boxes for pets, food, leashes, harnesses, and temporary accommodation. Together with the International Registration System - Animal ID and Dogs Trust Worldwide, FOUR PAWS has also set up a website called Ukrainian Pet Association Worldwide (UPAW) that accepts donations and facilitates the distribution of dog and cat food to hundreds of shelters in war-torn Ukraine. So far, 300 tons (over 600,000 pounds) of pet food have been delivered and approximately 50,000 dogs and cats have received food for the upcoming weeks.