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It’s been a busy, busy few days at the Dnipro Shelter in Ukraine!

With the ground defrosting and spring on the way, the team, with help from Sochi Dogs, is building a new fence. The shelter desperately needs more enclosed areas, as many dogs have recently come in from frontline villages and some of the enclosures are already overcrowded. This new fenced area will give current residents a bit more room and help make space for new rescues still waiting for safety.

A huge thank you to the building crew and our incredible community who make this work possible!

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Anna Umansky

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A Miracle for Disabled Dogs

Winter will never be the same for Kuzy, Ullie, Shanty, Baboolia, and Pixel. They are a few of the disabled and senior dogs at the Dnipro Shelter. Over the summer Anya, the director of the shelter, came to Sochi Dogs with a concern – how are they going to make it through the winter? They couldn’t stay in the regular outdoor kennels, it would be much too cold. So together we started looking for a solution…

We spent weeks hunting online for different options. Then a used construction shed that could be outfitted into a perfect refuge turned up for sale… a Sochi Dogs donor stepped up to help fund the project.

Quickly volunteers cleaned and flattened some unoccupied space, then the shed was delivered. A construction crew set to work installing a roof,  enclosing the area with a fence, and extending a powerline to allow for heat. Sochi Dogs ordered special soft tiles to make it easier for disabled dogs to move around and grass outside grass was installed. A special door was added to the shed to allow the dogs to come and go as they pleased.

And just in time for winter the project was completed!

Needless to say Kuzy who was the first to check out his new quarters was thrilled! He is so grateful to everyone who made this project possible.

And Anya and her team couldn’t be happier! They were so worried about these dogs making it through another cold winter but that’s one thing they can cross off their list.

 
 
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Anna Umansky

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Dnipro Shelter - new well in work!

It's 97 degrees in Dnipro today! The shelter has not had any running water for months and power comes on for 2-hour blocks at a time but thanks to the well Sochi Dogs installed, everyone can cool off in a pool! There are a few of these around the shelter and all the dogs are loving them! A huge thank you from all the dogs and caretakers in Dnipro. The well is a literal lifesaver for them and the dogs.

 
 
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Anna Umansky

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Dnipro Shelter Attacked 

The Russian invasion can be felt every day at the Dnipro Shelter when soldiers bring in animals rescued from the front lines but this week the war came right to the shelter’s front door when a missile landed just 30 feet away from the property. Thankfully no one was seriously injured. There was damage to the roof and windows, the fence was bent up and the ceiling collapsed on the cat barn. 


The Dnipro Community came together to help clean up and Sochi Dogs was able to help get supplies for the repairs. They are projected to take some time. It's been difficult to find anyone who can do the work because so many people have had to enlist and others are helping fix the damage in other places across the city. 

 
 

This attack also damaged the water pipes leading to the shelter. Since the invasion began, running water has generally been unreliable and after this latest attack, it would take months for the city to repair the pipes. Running a shelter without water is extremely difficult and very expensive. It would be impossible for the Dnipro Shelter to survive the summer without having easy access to water, so with the help of our dog-loving community, Sochi Dogs supplied the Dnipro shelter with the materials needed to install a pump and get running water from an underground well! Everyone at the shelter (including the dogs) is incredibly grateful and excited!

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Anna Umansky