As Russian forces continue to capture more territory in Eastern Ukraine, millions have fled their homes, leaving everything behind, including pets. LA Times photojournalist Carolyn Cole recently spent time in Ukraine documenting a couple who is helping to rescue the animals left behind. Cole joined host Lisa McRee on “LA Times Today” with more on the Green Grove animal sanctuary.
Evgenia Molchanova and her husband, Anatoliy Pilipenko, bought their farm a few years ago. Once the invasion began, Cole said, they opened it up for animals who needed a safe place to go.
“Some horses that I met that had come from Kharkiv. They had actually been so frightened by the shelling and all the noises that they were falling over in the field, fainting. I also met a little dog named ‘Gun’ who had gotten injured in an ammunition fire and was covered with burn patches. So those are some of the dramatic ones I saw, but also just people with unusual animals [that]... couldn’t take them along with them,” Cole shared.
Cole explained how the animals are suffering from the trauma of war, much like the human citizens of Ukraine. The Green Grove is also taking in people who had to flee their homes.
“They’ve really just created a true sanctuary. They’re even taking in some families from the Far East who needed a place to stay and are now helping out with the farm animals. And they’re also bringing children in from other towns. I think they’ve had over a thousand children visit and it’s been great therapy for the children that have remained in Ukraine,” Cole said.
Molchanova and Pilipenko are not charging people who need to drop off their animals or need a place to stay. To learn more about how to support the Green Grove, go to https://www.zelenyygay.com/.
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