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As the war in Ukraine enters its third year, the devastating toll on both human and animal lives continues to grow. Beyond the devastation, beloved pets who are lost, abandoned, or unable to evacuate with their owners, are in desperate need of veterinary care, food and shelter. With no infrastructure or services in frontline areas, animals like dogs and cats are at risk of disease, injuries, health issues, and death. The situation is critical with hundreds of thousands of animals needing emergency veterinary services, life-saving medications, evacuations and care.
Veterinarians Without Borders North America/Vétérinaires Sans Frontières Amerique du Nord (VWB/VSF) is a non-profit, charitable organization who is on the ground working with local partners like 12 Guards in the most dangerous and severely damaged regions (Kharkiv, Chernihiv, Donetsk). Every day, these brave individuals put their lives on the line to rescue suffering pets and provide emergency veterinary care services with little access to resources like electricity and limited medical supplies. The unwavering drive and determination to help animals is seen in the resilience of brave volunteers like Christina, who sustained injuries after stepping on a landmine. Before she had fully recovered, she was back out on the frontlines rescuing animals from harm.
As the war in Ukraine continues to rage on, pledge your support now for brave volunteers who are risking their lives every day to ensure veterinary care remains accessible for vulnerable animals who desperately need help.
Written by Janine Mitchell, Executive Director of VWB, in recognition of One Health Day (November 3), this article draws on the FAO Global Conference for Actions on One Health in Agrifood Systems and the VSF International General Assembly to explore what it takes to turn One Health commitments into action—from building equitable partnerships and strengthening collaboration to ensuring practical systems and accountability.
On September 30, VWB joins Canadians in marking the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day. We reflect on the importance of listening, learning, and respectful relationships in our work alongside Indigenous communities in northern Canada, and share resources for continued learning.
Watch a replay of our World Rabies Day 2026 webinar, which brought together perspectives from Alaska, Ukraine, and Laos to explore why rabies persists despite being preventable — and what stronger access, local capacity, coordination, and resilient animal and human health systems can contribute to progress toward ending human deaths from dog-mediated rabies by 2030.
