CFF has partnered with the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant and Chernobyl Exclusion Zone Management Agency in Ukraine to provide medical care for the stray dogs that live in the area. We need your support to hire Ukrainian vets, purchase vaccines, anesthesia, cages, dog food and medical supplies, to set up a temporary hospital to conduct our spay/neuter operations, and to help manage and take care of this abandoned population of animals. Many people think of Chernobyl as a post-apocalyptic wasteland, but there are thousands of workers at the nuclear power plant and hundreds of stray dogs that live in the surrounding areas. These animals are largely the descendants of pets of people who were evacuated after the nuclear disaster in 1986. The dogs at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant are generally very young (over 90% estimated to be 3-5 years or younger). New litters of puppies are born year round. Many of the puppies born after October every year will not survive the harsh Ukrainian winter without assistance. (A worker at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant feeds some of the stray dogs near the canteen where workers eat lunch.) Over the years, workers at Chernobyl and in the surrounding exclusion zone have attempted to care for these homeless animals - even though it is technically illegal and puts them at potential risk. It is not uncommon for workers to feed the animals or tend to one that is injured. One woman at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant has been buying temporary sterilization shots out of her own meager salary in the spring to try to stem the flood of new puppies every year, but she cannot afford enough shots to make a real difference. (Some of the Chernobyl workers feed the stray dogs near the Semikhody train station at the nuclear power plant.) Over the last ten years, a resurgence of tourism into the exclusion zone has increased the amount of human contact and interaction with these animals. (Two young puppies and their mother greet the workers and visitors to the nuclear power plant.) While human interaction is good for the animals and for the workers, it also carries considerable risk. The dogs have been exposed to rabies by animals in the exclusion zone, including the packs of wolves that claim the surrounding areas. Ukraine receives its rabies vaccine for humans from Russia, but has not been receiving an adequate supply for nearly 5 years because of the breakdown of relations and the ongoing conflict with Russia in Eastern Ukraine. There are rules against feeding the stray dogs in the zone, but the workers big hearts prevent them from being able to ignore the plight of the animals. (Would you be able to ignore suffering animals like the puppies pictured above and below?) The problem with feeding the dogs is that the first thing they want to do after eating, is breed – continuing the proliferation of young puppies in the zone. Out of desperation and economic restriction, a worker has been assigned to cull the stray dog population around the plant. For the time being, CFF has negotiated a more humane solution to managing the stray animals with our spay, neuter and vaccination program. We need your help to avoid this unnecessary and inhumane outcome! DOGS PROGRAM OVERVIEW In 2016, CFF developed a 3-year program to spay, neuter and vaccinate the stray dogs of Chernobyl. This initiative is designed to reduce the risk of human exposure to rabies from coming into contact with the dogs as well as provide basic vaccinations and medical care for these furry friends. Every summer through 2019, CFF will dispatch a team of experts (who have donated their time) to Ukraine to partner with 3-5 Ukrainian veterinarians, dog handlers, veterinary technicians and over twenty volunteers to spay, neuter, vaccinate and provide basic medical care for as many of the stray animals in the zone as funding allows. CFF has partnered with the University of South Carolina, Worcester Polytechnic Institute and a group of organizations in the United States, Great Britain, Germany, and Ukraine that are willing to assist in supporting the Chernobyl dogs program in a variety of capacities. As you can imagine, this is not your typical spay/neuter and vaccination campaign. Special care and handling will be taken during the capture, holding and release of the animals to ensure that all risks are properly managed. We need your help to purchase the necessary supplies, medicines, to hire qualified vets, and ultimately to provide a better life for the stray dogs of Chernobyl. https://www.gofundme.com/dogs-of-chernobyl
