As Jake fled his hometown of Kharkiv, Ukraine, he took his two most prized possessions: his Nintendo Switch and Puzo, his pet pug. Score of other displaced Ukrainians have refused to leave their animals behind for good reason. Pets can provide companionship, help reduce feelings of loneliness and boost feel-good hormones, such as oxytocin, according to Laure Powell, post-doctoral researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine.
Source: NPR, March 12, 2022. Link. Previous traumatic events have shown us that pets can be vitally important for their owners in stressful times.
INSIGHTS: A list of organizations helping pets, farm animals and animal shelters in Ukraine and Europe can be found in this Yahoo! news article. Link.
In addition, The Foundation for the Horse is accepting gifts for equine and veterinary medical relief there, as well, according to AAEP. Link.