In early May 2022, a flight carrying 166 Ukrainian refugees landed at St. John in Canada. But they are not alone as they have 11 pets (3 dogs and 8 cats) with them. People can’t leave their furry friends behind, so they don’t hop on a flight until they know their pets can join them.
Ukrainians and their pets have been welcomed with open arms in Newfoundland and Labrador, and many other Ukrainian pet parents hope to make the journey there as well. Here are the stories of the adventures of the pets.
The local welcomes strangers and pets to her home
Hanna Sukhinets has made a long and complicated journey with her cat named Margo and her medium-sized dog named Dea. The trio fled from Ukraine to Newfoundland and Labrador by train, then bus, and finally plane. Sadly, her husband and their big dog are still in Ukraine.
Sukhinets quickly fell in love with Newfoundland and Labrador. As a dog lover, she couldn’t resist a place with the names of two breeds. But she could also say it was a place where she and her furry friends could feel safe. So she turned to social media to see if she could find a place to stay when her plane arrived.
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Lori Best, lives near St. John’s, saw the post and recommended a space in her home. Although Best and Sukhinets were strangers when they first connected, they quickly felt like family after communicating for a while. When they finally met at the airport, they were both very emotional.
Best said: “When I saw the person holding the big dog, I knew it was her and I started running towards her, hugging her tightly and had a few tears in my eyes.
Sukhinets is grateful that she and her two pets were able to arrive safely. She said she couldn’t imagine leaving them behind. However, she is still worried about her husband and other dog, who have yet to leave Ukraine.
Cats leave Ukraine for the first time
Two cats named Bella and Simba were on the same flight with Sukhinets and her pet. Their humans, Olga and Ivan Antoniuk, owned a real estate company in Ukraine, but the business stopped when the Russian invasion began, so they decided to leave.
13-year-old Bella has never left her apartment in Ukraine so traveling with her is not easy. She’s a skinny cat with kidney disease and because of her age and condition, she can’t take anti-anxiety medication like Simba can. Leaving Ukraine meant a lot of stress for the elderly cat, and the family needed to pack a lot of special cat food.
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However, Olga and Ivan know that leaving Ukraine is the best option for all of them. So they drove to Poland before taking a flight to St. John’s. After a lot of trash on the way to a stop, they arrived at the airport and flew to Newfoundland and Labrador with two cats.
“I think that’s crazy. Olga said. “I [can’t] describe this kindness to us and to our pets. “
Many people greeted the couple and their cats as the plane landed. Olga and Ivan are shocked but grateful for everyone’s kindness.
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More Ukrainians plan to fly there
People in Newfoundland and Labrador continue to welcome Ukrainians and their pets by helping them catch flights and find accommodation. There’s even a Facebook group to organize these tours.
Many other pet parents have posted in the Facebook group, expressing interest in Canada from Ukraine. It’s heartwarming to see how many families refuse to leave their pets behind and how many strangers are willing to help improve these people’s lives.
Featured pictures: Facebook
