War in Ukraine isn’t just a catastrophe for humans

A woman carrying her pet cat as she and other evacuees cross a destroyed bridge while fleeing the city of Irpin, northwest of Kyiv, on March 7, 2022, in Ukraine. Photo: TNS

Animals don’t wage war, yet they – along with innocent civilians – are often among those most affected by battle. The events unfolding in Ukraine bear this out.

Right now, a team from Peta Germany is at the Polish and Romanian borders with Ukraine, helping as many animals as they can to reach safety. That’s where they met a cat named Crimsee. Her worried guardian had tucked the cat under her jacket and carried her on foot more than 37 miles (59.5km) in the bitter cold to escape the war zone. The poor woman was so exhausted that she could barely stand, but now she and Crimsee are safe and receiving support from Peta Germany.