Emergency Fund: No animal deserves to die in wars! Together with ROLDA for Ukraine animals

The plight of animals in Ukraine

The situation in Ukraine is dramatic for people and their animals trapped in the areas surrounding battle zones. Large settlements are transformed into ruins, the houses often have no windows and poor access to water, electricity, and internet. The national infrastructure was a constant target and people who refused to flee their country back in March 2022 or any time after, are exhausted. Even if the war stops tomorrow, the consequences of the war (depopulation, economic disaster) will have a long-term impact on these innocent people and their animals. ROLDA, being an animal charity, will keep providing support to people with animals and homeless or abandoned animals, affected by this conflict. You continue to be the only hope they have.

Since the war started, ROLDA kept distance from political statements because we are a non-profit, non-political entity regardless of what we feel and think as individuals. The president of ROLDA has been in Ukraine to help evacuate animals from villages located near battle areas but also to meet the people which ROLDA support because of our donor’s generosity and compassion.

Animals are living in horrible conditions, especially in war zones. Shelters are in danger of being completely destroyed if a bomb accidentally falls in the wrong place. Many have already been destroyed or burned.

From the beginning of the war, the ROLDA team located just 8 km from the border with Ukraine and Moldova has been busy finding the best way to help people and animals affected by the war. We want to help the best we can, especially the animals who are left behind on the streets of Ukraine and need to be rescued, or animals from shelters in bombarded cities that lack vital resources and where the animal rescue activity can’t continue as before the war.

During 2024, ROLDA distributed monthly small grants to shelters and rescuers all over Ukraine and we supervise how the money is spent, making sure that every donation is used to buy food, and essential supplies, and to cover veterinary care for the poor animals who have faced bomb blasts, airstrikes and enemy fire.

Regardless of bullets and bombs, we promise to fight as hard for the animals as the Ukrainians are fighting for their homeland!

Activity report for 2025

Total number of animals helped:

Month	Type of animals	Total	Download
Month	January	Type of animals	cats, dogs, others	Total	3800	Download	See full report here
Month	February	Type of animals	cats, dogs, others	Total	4000	Download	See full report here
Month	March	Type of animals	cats, dogs, others	Total	4000	Download	See full report here
Month	April	Type of animals	cats, dogs, others	Total	approx 4000	Download	See full report here
Month	May	Type of animals	cats, dogs, others	Total	approx 4000	Download	See full report here
Month	June	Type of animals	cats, dogs, others	Total	approx 3800	Download	See full report here
Month	July	Type of animals	cats, dogs, others	Total	approx 3000	Download	See full report here

Locations: Cherkasy, Dnipro, Kharkiv, Korosten, Lviv, Mykolaiv, Odessa, Vilniansk, Zaporizhezhe

Number of grants distributed across Ukraine: 13
Individual rescuers: 8
NGOs: 5
Targets: rescue animals from battle zone; feeding dogs, cats, others; medical care.

On site rescue animals from bombed villages

Dana’s Journey to Ukraine, October 2024

With a heart full of dedication and compassion, Dana Costin, CEO of ROLDA, embarked on a five-day mission to Ukraine in October 2024 travelling to the Kharkiv region, where she provided crucial support for animal rescue operations near the front lines.

The Little Coin That Continues to #GiveHope

A few days ago, I returned from another trip to the Ukraine. As you read this, please understand that this isn’t a corporate report filled with numbers and statistics (though we can provide those), but something written from the heart—my heart.

APRIL 2024 Ukraine Crisis update

The war’s horror bled across borders, and as ROLDA stood witness to this unfathomable suffering, like many shocked others, we dashed to offer hope amidst the chaos. We share our soil with Ukraine – they are our brethren in distress, a mere heartbeat away from our base in Galati, Romania.

Impact of your donation 2022-2025

40+ supported rescuers and shelters.
Sent funds for food and veterinary aid for approximately 63,000 animals, especially around the battle zones.
Delivered 70 tons of supplies-food for animals and humans, hay for farm animals.
Sterilised by approximately 3,000 animals.
Rescued 124 dogs from war zones and transported them to ROLDA’s shelter.
5 shelters repaired destroyed by bombs.
Funded emergency animal evacuations from flooded areas in Kherson.
Help evacuate animals-dogs, cats, goats, etc.-around the Kharkiv frontline.

Our impact in pictures

(latest update: January 2025)

Your donation is being put to work to save Ukrainian animals

Ongoing: Financial aid sent across Ukraine

ROLDA assisted with small repeated grant the rescuers located in Bila Tserkva, Dnepr, Genichesk, Irpen, Kakhovka, Kherson, Kharkiv, Korosten, Kropyvnytskyi, Kryvyi Rih, Mykolaiv, Odessa, Oleksandriia, Poltava, Rivne village, Vilniansk, Zaporizhia. In order to continue to receive support, rescuers must acknowledge the donation and send us a short update/report on how the grant was spent. This allows us to ensure that our supporter's donations are being used for their intended purpose and it allows us to update our supporters. We believe in transparency! The Ukrainian shelters have full responsibility for how they spend the money received and ROLDA is not affiliated with/doesn’t endorse any shelter from Ukraine.

Drive with food and medicine in Ukraine

ROLDA team doesn’t visit Ukrainians rescuers with empty hands. Every time we cross the border, we take the necessary steps and follow all Customs requirements to deliver food and medicines to animals and people.

Other ways we helped

ROLDA is contributing to sterilization campaigns and also donated to shelters destroyed by bombs, drones, fires, helping them to rebuild kennels, units and enclosures where more animals in need to find a refuge.

ROLDA’s big goal

ROLDA is taking steps towards creating a new rescue center at the Romania-Ukraine border.

ROLDA is taking steps towards creating a new rescue center at the Romania-Ukraine border. This center will be a beacon of hope for animals in need, providing the best possible care for generations of animals in Ukraine and Romania. It will be a safe and nurturing environment where they can receive the care and attention they need and deserve. With the continued support of our donors, we are confident that this dream will become a reality, and together, we can make a real difference in the lives of animals suffering in Ukraine and Romania.

Done between 2022-2024

Evacuating as many dogs as possible from Ukrainian shelters and rescuers

In 2022 and 2023, ROLDA managed to rescue 125 dogs from private shelters located in Kyiv, Korosten, Cernauti, Mykolaiv, and Odesa. 80% of these have already been safely rehomed. Shelters are in danger of closing because of a lack of resources, and the animals and staff are in danger of becoming captive in occupied territories, yet many European countries have enforced border control for live animals claiming there is a danger of rabies. This is having a big effect on our adoption program. We hope at some point we will be able to rescue many more Ukrainian dogs, getting them to safety at ROLDA where they will spend a period in quarantine before getting the necessary papers to transport them to our partners in Europe, the US, etc. Galati is strategically located near Odessa. We are just 8km from the border (Reni checkpoint) and can take animals in immediately as soon as we are allowed.

Sending supplies (food and medicines for animals, food and hygiene products for people)

ROLDA sent humanitarian supplies to Korosten, Zaporizhezhe, Mykolaiv as well as to Chernihiv (hay for farm animals). The videos show local rescuers distributing food for animals in Mykolaiv and Zaporizhezhe regions.

Offering veterinary support and food for the pets of refugees arriving in Romania, Reni-Giurgiulesti and Isaccea

Thanks to our volunteers, we manage to translate leaflets in Ukrainian and distribute them at the border, in Giurgulesti-Reni and Isaccea checkpoints which explain that ROLDA provides hygiene supplies, food for refugees’ pets as well as free medical assistance.

Leaflets distributed by our volunteers in Tulcea

Supplies offered to the Ukrainian refugees in Tulcea

Shop to help #UkraineAnimals

Buy handmade or ROLDA personalized products from our shop to help us support dogs currently living in private shelters in Ukraine.

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Together, we will fight for the life of every abandoned pet!

Ukraine animals need us TODAY but also after the war will end.

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Transparency corner

Activity Report 2022

Activity Report 2023

Activity Report 2024

Goals 2025

Physically join rescue mission to evacuate animals in war zone in Ukraine
Distribute grants transparently to rescuers with priority to those located close to battle areas
Translate coloring book to print and distribute in Ukraine starting with fall 2025
Raise awareness internationally about the plight of Ukrainian animals

Testimonials from Ukrainian rescuers

“Dana, I just want to thank you for everything you have done for us. We bought a plot. We are already settling animals little by little. Thanks to your help, with the money transferred to us last time, we now have a plot for animals. Thank you for everything you do for animals in Ukraine.”
Irina Fedorchenko from Zaporizhia
August 2023

“My dear, God bless you for your help! Now I get just a few donations coming and the costs are high because of the sick and the disabled on top of all other about 200 of them in total to look after every day! Today I bought food for all from your donations: if it weren’t for you and ROLDA the dogs would have been hungry. Dana, Thank you very much!”
Claire from Poltava
June 2022

“The community in Korosten is grateful to ROLDA. Thanks to you we managed to sterilize 110 cats. ROLDA is an amazing charity.”
Lida from Korosten
June 2022

“Thank you so much for your financial support for our animals! I was very touched honestly I cried, because this amount was enough to buy the hay I ordered. Now I can pay for it in full and I think it will be enough for delivery!”
Ludmila from Borodyanka
June 2022

The war continues in Ukraine… Animals (and people who care about them) need you!

We transform the future of #UkraineAnimals

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Disclaimer:
ROLDA is a registered charity that helps animals in need. Funds raised through this appeal will be used to support the specific purpose of this appeal. In the event that funds raised exceed the specific needs of this appeal, any additional funds will be used to support the ongoing costs for welfare of animals under the care of ROLDA.

About photos:
ROLDA received the above photos from Ukrainian friends on Facebook, we have no responsibility for the copywriting claims because photos are used to reflect the situation and animals in Ukraine and have no commercial purpose.

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