Busya ran up a tree during air raid but mom refused to leave her behind

As Russian bombs rain down on Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest city, animal rescue volunteers dart through the city, dodging artillery on a mission to save lives.

When the war started and things got really scary, thousands of Ukrainian citizens fled the country.

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However, Busya’s mom refused to leave and risked her own life when her calico cat Busya frantically ran up a tree during an air raid, terrorized by the loud noises.

Busya’s mom reached out for help when she couldn’t get her down the tree herself.

Thankfully, volunteers came to her rescue and finally managed to get Busya back to her mom’s arms.

The risk for volunteers is extreme. Kharkiv is under constant shelling by artillery and bombardment by the Russian air force.

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Shelters and rescue groups across Ukraine try to rethink how they can continue working. They receive hundreds of emergency calls and messages from desperate pet owners on a daily basis.

“Our team decided before the war started that we will stay here and we will do the work and we won’t leave our city. We’ll continue working and helping the animals” they said.

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Largest Animal shelter in Kyiv

Before the war, Sirius was the largest animal shelter in Ukraine and home to more than 3,000 dogs and over 200 cats at its main facility north of Kyiv. Now, the shelter is in territory seized by Russian troops laying siege to Ukraine’s capital.

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Russian troops have not allowed for a humanitarian corridor in the area to allow supplies for the animals under their care. They have very few stocks of food left, water is also in short supply and the biggest problem they’re facing —aside from the constant Russian attacks—is transportation.

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“We can’t understand why Russian soldiers, who are also human, can’t make it possible to feed our animals. They’ve done nothing wrong.” shelter staff said.