40 Photos Of Ukrainian Folks With Their Pets Amidst The War, Proving Just How Strong Human-Pet Love Can Really Be

Many Ukrainian citizens have been spotted holding on to their dear pets while fleeing to safety during these very anxious and heartbreaking times. Folks all over the country are hiding in subway stations that are now acting as shelters and making their uneasy way to borders in order to save their families and furry friends from the ongoing crisis.

Still, a good deal of locals can't actually afford to leave the affected towns due to the standard rules involving tons of paperwork and vaccinations that allow people to cross borders with their pets and are choosing to stay to be together with their beloved animals. However, the EU's veterinarians federation requested that Europe relax the strict entry requirements to help people get to safety without having to leave their pets behind, and some countries like Poland, Romania and Slovakia have, in fact, eased the rules for Ukrainian refugees.

We as humans have developed an otherworldly connection with our little friends and leaving them behind, let alone in such dangerous conditions, for most is just not an option whatsoever. Some folks choose to have children only, many decide to give their offspring a furry companion to grow up with – and others are happy to adopt a couple of cats and have a fulfilling life without having to take the significant responsibility of raising another human being.

However, we've grown to treat our pets like complete family members. We love them unconditionally, we care for their safety and comfort just like any ordinary parent would, therefore, in reality it requires nearly as much responsibility as it would with an actual baby.

None of us truly know for how long this crisis is going to last; neither do we know whether it will take a much scarier turn. For the past several years, the world has been dealing with another life-threatening event in the form of the pandemic that has selfishly taken the lives of what seems like a countless amount of people. Everything happened so suddenly, and in just a moment, our lives started to resemble one of those fiction novels about a horrific disease, where just when we thought that we're slowly coming back to our previous routines – the world surprised us with a much scarier chapter. Though we might feel powerless, it's crucial to stick together, help the ones in need and fight the evil with our voices – even if it feels impossible.

It's emotionally excruciating knowing that people are forced to suffer purely because folks above us couldn't come to an agreement and decided to involve everyone in their immoral and poisonous games. Citizens of the affected country have no other choice than to completely pause their lives and hope for the best, waking up in indescribable fear every single morning. No one knows how to stop the conflicts from happening, and whether we'll ever have a say in these types of situations, but what we know is that as long as we'll stay united, someday the world will be able to find its true path.

Ukraine and its citizens are receiving a great amount of support from folks all over the world. Moreover, for the sake of all the pet owners, PETA Germany are planning to deliver 20,000 kgs of dog and cat food to the country, as well as other necessities such as blankets for people and their furry friends who are not able to flee the country.