From our dogs and cats to wildlife, nature and the world around us, we believe there is always more to learn about the planet we share and the challenges it faces.
Because of this, we invite organisations whose work aligns with our values to share their knowledge, experience and ideas with our community. We hope their insights inspire you to learn something new, try something different, share an idea or find a way to get involved.
This week, we're handing over to Nina Ley of Nowzad, one of the UK organisations recognised in our 2025 Companion for Life Call for Projects. Awarded £7,000 in funding, Nowzad is working to help animals affected by the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
In this special edition, Nina shares more about their work and the challenges facing animals in areas where veterinary care is difficult to access.
As the cool autumn rain falls over the roads heading east toward Dnipro, the air is still. Inside our newly custom-fitted mobile Veterinary Rescue Unit, the team — Pen, Dr. Lachlan, Angela, Tony and myself — are busy arranging surgical packs, checking rabies vaccine stocks, and securing boxes for the next journey ahead.
It’s hard to put into words what it feels like to finally see this ambulance on the road, especially after our huge collective headache in May when trying to get it across Europe and into Ukraine, with all sorts of warning lights and unforeseen hiccups along the way.
But - what was once just a vision discussed on paper - is now a fully equipped, high-spec clinic on wheels, rolling through the vast Ukrainian countryside and occasional town to deliver veterinary aid directly where it is needed most.
“What was once just a vision discussed on paper - is now a fully equipped, high-spec clinic on wheels, rolling through the vast Ukrainian countryside and occasional town to deliver veterinary aid directly where it is needed most.”
Ukraine is a truly gigantic country spanning over 600,000 square kilometres as the largest country located entirely within Europe. Known as the "breadbasket of Europe," its fertile black earth soil historically feeds over 400 million people worldwide, making it the global leader in sunflower oil exports and a top exporter of wheat, corn, barley, and honey, as well as major non-agricultural exports like steel.
We can travel for ages without passing another vehicle - moving through expansive landscapes left desolate as the war has driven whole families and communities from their homes.
In the east of the country, as we make our way towards frontline shelters, we often find ourselves under miles and miles of drone nets draped above the roads — a stark reminder of the aerial threats constantly looming overhead.
Only last night, Ukraine’s capital Kyiv saw one of it’s most intense aerial strikes since the war began, killing and injuring so many.
A Landscape and Population in Crisis
Since the full-scale invasion, the situation for domestic animals in Ukraine has reached critical levels.
Across abandoned swathes of the country, the stray animal population has surged by an estimated 30%, leaving over 140,000 homeless dogs and cats exposed to disease, hunger, and harsh weather.
Local animal shelters and remaining volunteers have shown unimaginable bravery, but with damaged infrastructure and overwhelmed local clinics, providing basic veterinary care has become an uphill battle in itself.
That is why our mobile clinic is such a game-changer.
Thanks to the vital funding provided by Almo Nature’s 2025 Call for Projects grant and the generous donations of equipment and medical supplies from our supporters and donors, we can now bring emergency treatments and preventative medicine directly to shelters and communities that have been cut off from help.
Over these last two weeks, our mission has focused on a strategic Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate-Release (TNVR) campaign to tackle the crisis at its root.
-
1. Spay & Neuter Work
Navigating frontline regions out to Zaporizhzhia and Dnipro, we have worked closely with local animal shelters that have had limited access to veterinary aid since the conflict began.
Thanks to the specialised equipment in our new clinic, we can perform around 40-50 neuter/spay surgeries each day at our partner shelters, before handing back the dog or cat for its vital recovery period.
-
2. Vaccinations and Anti-Parasite Treatments
Vaccinating as many dogs and cats as possible against rabies before the brutal winter sets in creates a vital protective shield for both the animal and human communities.
This is so important in the face of a growing and very concerning escalation in rabies outbreaks across Ukraine in recent years.
Every animal that crosses our clinic’s path also receives comprehensive treatment for fleas, ticks, and internal parasites.
It’s a crucial layer of care — bringing immediate relief to animals who have been suffering in silence on the streets or in overcrowded shelters.
-
3. Rescue & Treatment
Alongside these procedures, our mobile clinic acts as a “surgery on wheels” for any acute trauma, illness and injuries witnessed whilst on our way.
Just today, Dr Lach and Angela have performed several complex procedures such as removing severely infected and damaged eyes from two street cats and dealing with a life-threatening pyometra infection in a poor female dog that had just been rescued.
Until you’re here, I realise it is easy to forget that all of this is accomplished amidst the relentless threat of Russian attacks, as incoming missiles and drones serve as a stark reminder of Ukraine's ongoing struggle.
Recovery Takes Strategy, Compassion, and Time
“Every sterilisation performed, every rabies vaccine administered, and every injured animal treated inside this mobile clinic represents a concrete step toward a safer, healthier future for this beleaguered nation.”
In a country facing such massive challenges, nature and animal welfare recovery will not happen overnight. But every sterilisation performed, every rabies vaccine administered, and every injured animal treated inside this mobile clinic represents a concrete step toward a safer, healthier future for this beleaguered nation.
We are deeply grateful to Almo Nature for standing side-by-side with Nowzad and believing in strategic, long-term solutions for Ukraine’s animals.
Companions for Life
To us at Almo Nature and Fondazione Capellino, dogs and cats are members of our families, not possessions. They have their own needs and deserve the same respect, care and protections as any other members of our family.
We believe our responsibility goes beyond ownership. That is why, through our Companion for Life initiative, we campaign for stronger animal welfare protections, better laws and greater recognition of the needs of our companion animals.
From promoting responsible relationships with animals to advocating for stronger EU legislation, and providing donations in urgent situations, we're working on many levels to advance their health, wellbeing and protection.
Because every animal deserves to live a good life.