3 Vets at the Ukranian Border Crossing

14/05/2022

Some of the people and pets that came through our tent today. Some people were headed for Bulgaria, some staying in Romania, some to Italy and even one group to California. Our tent occasionally deflates and collapses, and we hold it up while the firemen next to us run over and inflate it with their pump 🤣. Tomorrow is our last day at the border. We are probably going to a town on the Black Sea for a day before heading back to Bucharest then home.

13/05/2022

I took some photos at the border crossing while I was walking around today. The line of trucks waiting to board the ferry for Ukraine was very long. There is a large reception tent and a second attached tent with many beds for the refugees to sleep in if they would like to stay overnight. There is a booth with drinks and hot dogs, a booth with coffee, tea and snacks. The World Central Kitchen provides food around the clock. There is heavy police and fire protection, border patrol and other uniformed personnel. In addition to the veterinary tent, there is a booth that stocks pet supplies (we offer some too). There are other assorted temporary buikings. A pizza oven was delivered yesterday! Everything is free.

13/05/2022

If anyone is wanting to make a donation to help pets of Ukrainian refugees, Street Dog Coalition is the group that arranged for our opportunity to volunteer at their veterinary aid station in Romania. They provide aid for pets of homeless people in numerous locations and your donation would help.

https://www.thestreetdogcoalition.org/

11/05/2022

Some of the action in our tent this afternoon. Both of the local vets that run it stopped by for a while today.

10/05/2022

We saw very few people coming across the border today. The curfew in Odessa was lifted this am after they were attacked by missiles both during the day yesterday as well as overnight. Major damage resulted. The young woman with the chihuahua this morning was traveling alone on foot, and making her way to Germany to reunite with her mother and 7 yr old daughter, who left a month ago. I watched the ferry cross the Danube River and dock this afternoon.

09/05/2022

Odessa is on lockdown today due to concerns about what Putin will do on May 9, Victory day in Russia. We aren’t sure we will have many people coming today, the ferries have been fairly empty. Our first patient today will be going in to Canada and the second group is going to Bulgaria. There is a large pack of stray dogs here who have been fighting as there is a female in heat currently. Puppies will be coming ☹️

08/05/2022

We saw a group of 17 pets with a Ukrainian rescue group this morning and have seen 17 others so far, with 2 more ferries to come before we are done today. The refugees all look very tired. Odessa has been being attacked at night the last few weeks and the refugees have not been getting much sleep. One group told us they had already been traveling 12 hours today and were still going to Bucharest, another 4+ hours today. They have all been very grateful and very sweet despite all the stress they are under.

07/05/2022

Our first patient today belonged to a woman from Odessa, who spoke some English. She left her husband and 4 dogs behind as her husband is 55, so is in the age group of Ukrainian men who are not allowed to leave, and the dogs were too fragile to travel. She was intending to take her adult daughter’s cat to Barcelona, where her daughter has been living since leaving the Ukraine when the war started. She does not know where she will go from there, or when she will see her husband again.

07/05/2022

We are at the border crossing at Isaccea this afternoon after driving about 4 hours this morning and taking a ferry across the Danube River.

05/05/2022

I’ve been asked by a few people what group is providing the veterinary care at the border crossing where we will be. It is Street Dog Coalition, based in Colorado, if anyone is interested in making a contribution.

https://www.thestreetdogcoalition.org/

05/05/2022

Update: we made it to Romania and are having dinner at our hotel.

And off we go! On a layover in Munich currently. We will arrive in Bucharest Romania this evening local time, which is 10 hours ahead of California time.

02/05/2022

Our bags are packed (almost). Our adventure begins in 2 days.

02/05/2022