Woman drives for four days with 20 dogs crammed into her car to flee Ukraine

Twenty French bulldogs have been photographed inside a car as their owner fled shelling near her home on the outskirts of kyiv, Ukraine. The woman even returned to the area after this to rescue another 30 defenseless animals that were still in the middle of the bombardments.

Olena Lukash, 53, did not believe a war could start in Ukraine until shells began falling very close to her home since the invasion began. The woman soon realized that she would have to save her four-legged children from the terrifying threat and she decided to flee her home and head for Poland.

Olena told The Mirror :

“I took the first batch of dogs, 10 dogs and 10 puppies, to Poland on March 9. The trip took me four days. There is a lot of traffic on the roads. I returned home when our village was occupied by Russian troops and took out the rest of the dogs and puppies, 20 dogs and 10 puppies. We are now 300 km from the hostilities, but I plan to take all my dogs to safety.”

Woman drives for four days with 20 dogs in her car

The animal lover says she will continue to rescue other dogs in need of her help, even setting up support groups in neighboring countries to ensure rescued dogs find safe, long-term homes.

Olena tells:

“First I have to provide a safe place for my dogs in Europe, then I will help other dogs in Ukraine. We have already created groups and selected people to deliver animals from Poland and Romania, but they also need financial assistance for fuel. It’s a lot of work and I have very little energy right now.”

Olena and her husband are now in Vinnitsa in central Ukraine with the remaining dogs they managed to get out of their hometown, but they say they need money for food, medicine and fuel to continue and make it across the border.

Olena said:

«I am with dogs in Ukraine, the city of Vinnitsa. We need funds for food, dog medicine and fuel to keep the car on our way. So far I have returned to Ukraine once. I need to make two or three more trips.”