EXCLUSIVE: 'The Dogs were barking like mad, Artillery Rounds Landing Everywhere.' British army veteran tells how he and his Animal Rescue Team dodged Russian projectiles to Save 120 Animals Trapped in a Bombed Shelter in Kharkiv
- British Army veteran, Tom, has set out to save abandoned and misplaced animals in war-torn Ukraine with his rescue group, Breaking the Chains
- In a span of 14 days, the charity has already managed to rescue nearly 700 dogs and cats, and deliver over 100 tons of aid to those in need
As Western allies extend their support to displaced Ukrainians amid the ongoing war with
Russia, one British Army veteran has set out to rescue the forgotten victims of the invasion - abandoned animals.
Over the course of two weeks, former soldier, Tom, and his UK-based animal rescue group, Breaking the Chains, have saved nearly 700 dogs and cats in the war-torn country and delivered over 100 tons of food and medical supplies to those in need.
The 34-year-old from Yorkshire, northern England, has been on the frontlines in Ukraine helping extract animals from bomb-stricken shelters.
The veteran, who served in the British army for almost two decades, left the armed forces two years ago, but admits trying to carry out such a mission as a civilian is still 'very complex and dangerous.'
British Army veteran, Tom, has been rescuing dogs from bomb-stricken shelters in Ukraine amid Russia's invasion
Tom reaches out to a dog after dropping off much needed pet food and medical supplies to a Good Samaritan who has taken in stray and abandoned animals from the war-torn streets
Rescued dogs and cats in crates as they are transported to safety after being saved from an animal shelter in war-torn Ukraine. Tom and his team work with the animal shelter owners to determine which dogs can be placed together in the crates
'It's not just shelter animals that need our help, you have rescues, you have breeders, you have people that have taken in stray and abandoned animals, there must be at least 1,000 locations that have more than 30 dogs. There are thousands of them.'
In one of his most recent rescue efforts, Tom and his four-man team were able to retrieve 120 animals that were trapped in a bomb-stricken shelter in northeast Kharkiv, the country's second largest city, which has been obliterated by Russian troops.
'It was a shelter that had been blown up twice. No one could go to it, no one could reach it and help the animals, so we went in,' he said.
An animal shelter in Kharkiv that was bombed twice. Tom and his team were able to retrieve 120 dogs and cats that are now being held in shelters in Romania
Abandoned cats are seen being taken from a shelter in northeast Kharkiv that had been blown up twice
Tom has always been an animal lover. He even put a tiny pup in his pocket while serving with the British army
The kennel of dogs consisted of mostly larger breeds, all of which were severely emaciated and in need of medical attention.
'The big challenge that we have is with the shelters because they have anywhere between 500 to 600 animals. Right now the maximum we can retrieve is about 100 dogs and cats,' Tom explained.
'Ideally, we would like to get three more vehicles, two sprinters and a four by four pick-up. This way we could have more teams on the ground.
'This would give us time to save more animals from other places and deliver more food and supplies.'
Tom's vision for the displaced animals of Ukraine extends far beyond rescuing them from their volatile country.
A curious cat pokes its head out of a covered crate while being transported to the Ukrainian-Romanian border where it will be taken to a safe shelter
Breaking the Chains had teamed up with UK-based animal rescue, Bus Dog, and together they will expand upon a current shelter in Romania that will house some 1,200 animals.
'The shelter will be beautiful, with lots of outdoor space and a heated interior. Once there, the dogs will be examined, vaccinated and quarantined before going to other shelters across Europe where they will be adopted out to their forever homes.'
The animal lover and his team are also delivering tons of pet food and medical supplies to an animal shelter in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine. To date, they have brought over 100 tons of food to various locations in desperate need of help
The British military veteran credits dogs for saving his life more than once while on duty in both Afghanistan and Iraq. He launched the charity group after leaving the army in 2020
'I have always loved animals. I grew up with animals, had them as a kid all my life. I worked alongside them in the military and they saved my life more times than I can count, both physically and mentally,' said Tom.
'When I was discharged from the British army with complex PTSD, I was in a really bad place so I got a dog who was also in a really bad place and together we helped each other. That's what made me truly understand the power of animals and what they bring to us.
This is the British army veteran saving abandoned pets from bomb-stricken shelters in Ukraine | Daily Mail Online
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