We spoke to Julie Sawyer, who alongside her husband Nick, delivers vital pet products and other essentials to war-torn Ukraine.
Julie, how did you get involved in this work?
I’ve always worked with animals at the vets. When the war broke out and we first saw it on the news, we wanted to do something especially for the animals. We noticed big charities were just sitting on the borders and not going into Ukraine. So many people need our help and are looking after strays and unfed dogs. For example, one lady cares for 60 cats in a building and another man lives under a bridge and looks after 40 stray dogs. We can’t help everyone but try to do as much as we can.
It’s just myself and my husband who go out with his van and a trailer. We’ve been seven times so far and are planning our next visit now.
That sounds incredibly challenging. How close are you with the people you help?
The stories we’ve heard and the people we’ve met have become close friends and we keep in regular contact. We always ask before we come out if there’s anything they need. We even have a Ukrainian dog we brought over in 2022 called Fluffy.
How has the charity evolved?
The venture has grown arms and legs since we started. Initially, it was just dog food but now we also help hospitals by getting nappies, toiletries, and at the moment, we’re even collecting shoes for elderly people. Animals remain an important part though.
It’s complicated to get into the country. Paperwork and customs can take a long time and we go to different parts of the country that are still actively involved in the war. As media attention has moved elsewhere, a lot of people don’t realise it’s still ongoing. We upload live videos to show the realities of what it’s like there.
How do you raise funds for the products you need?
We list requests on our Facebook page and contact companies such as Green Pantry, who kindly donate food. We also get donations from people who see our posts on Facebook and we have fundraising events.
We have the Pentney Lakes car show and fun day on 17th August. Green Pantry has donated prizes for all the winners in the dog show that we are doing as part of this.
On the day we have donation buckets for the public. Car owners can pay to bring their cars, and dogs pay to enter the show. This helps cover the costs of the ferry to go over there and for products to take. Last year, we raised just under £3,000 and we hope to raise a similar amount this year as it makes such a difference.
Ukraine Facebook page: Julie and Nick Ukraine Aid Challenge
Car Show Facebook page: Pentney Lakes Car Show
