One of the Family

While the first month of the war waged against Ukraine by Russia has come and gone, and the initial shock has worn off for many of us far from the conflict, people in Ukraine continue to live the realities of war. One of these realities is fleeing your home.

If you're fortunate enough not to be one of the 82.4 million people forcibly displaced around the world, then you may not be giving much thought what it's like to leave your home, often the only one you've ever known, on short notice with only the clothes on your back and provisions light enough to carry on foot for long distances. Even if you have the good fortune to start your journey with a car, there are no guarantees. Even if you could carry more things, decisions have to be made quickly. It's a matter of life and death.

And the same decisions have to be made about your beloved pets. Do you leave them behind with a friend, a neighbor? Do you release them to fend for themselves? Do you take them with you? With more than half of all people globally owning a pet, it's a question many are asking and the conflict in Ukraine is drawing attention to the pet refugee crisis like never before. Regardless of the choices they make, these are difficult and heartbreaking decisions.

Many organizations and individuals are coming together to support refugee and displaced pets in their time of need. If you're looking to connect with organizations supporting refugee pets, here's a verified list. As a company dedicated to animal welfare, Clawndoms will also donate it's 10% net profits to efforts supporting refugee pets through the end of 2022.

If you don't have the time to volunteer or the funds to donate, you can still make an impact by sharing resources like UAsafety.org that helps people in Ukraine with a centralized information hub. We can all do something.