We are all horrified and heartbroken by what the people of Ukraine along with their pets are going through right now.

The people of Ukraine are facing terrors we can only imagine and are fleeing to safety with their animal companions, many with only the clothes on their back and limited supplies for their pets.

Organisations and individuals are coming together across the world to offer help and support and here at Missing Pets Perth and Kinross we would like to do the same.

This fundraiser began when we asked our followers on Facebook if we could use £100 of our small missing pet fund to buy some food and items for the pets that managed to get into Poland. So many of you wanted to help and donate, so we started this Just Giving appeal. We’ve been blown away by the generous response, which has already surpassed several targets, and to date, is sitting at just over an incredible £15,000.

We’d like to update you further on how your donations will be used to provide much needed help for the animals affected by the conflict.

We have been working with Tayside and Strathearn Ukraine fund and the Polish community, who are looking to provide direct aid to the people of Ukraine, and those who have reached the safety of Poland.

To assist with the logistics of this, we have been liaising with LCM Vans Ltd, a local Perth based company with similar attitude and spirit to our own when it comes to animal welfare.

Their unwavering and cheerful support has ensured that the earliest donations from local businesses as well as pet supplies purchased by volunteers, have already made it onto one of the first trucks travelling to Poland/Ukraine, escorted by the Red Cross. This includes food for dogs, cats, small mammals and birds as well as horses.

Thanks to ongoing donations and the continued commitment of the team working from Morris Leslie at Errol airfield, we have been told to expect another two (possibly three) trucks to come in the next three weeks with space for more animal food and equipment.

The plan is to do the same as we did this week, namely purchase and collect the food and deliver it to Errol Airfield, to be packed and loaded onto the trucks and delivered directly to the communities who need it.

Because of your generosity, our fundraiser is now at a level where we could also support charities and organisations on the ground in Ukraine, as well as bordering countries, who have been helping to get the displaced animals out. This will be the second phase of our plan and we are currently researching to see which of these charities we could assist with direct donations.

These include:

DogBus - Transporting Paws Saving Lives: This is a UK based registered charity and they are sending out vital supplies to Ukraine as well as trying to evacuate animals to safe countries.

IFAW - International Fund for Animal Welfare: This organisation supports animal shelters within Ukraine that have been damaged during the conflict. It helps ensure that the shelters can continue to be operational during this time by supporting and supplying them with essential food.

We are still doing a great deal of research to find other worthy charities and organisations that we believe could benefit from the additional support that you have generously given. Due to how quickly the situation developed, these plans are at an early stage but as always, we will be completely transparent in all that we do with your donated funds.

Please do follow our Facebook page for continued updates, and check out the video and news coverage of this week’s incredible volunteer effort below.

An amazing first week 👏🏻 (Video)

News coverage about the appeal (The Daily Record)

Love and grateful thanks,

The Team

Missing Pets Perth & Kinross