Aaron Jackson has made a huge difference in the world thanks to his organization called Planting Peace. Some of the incredible work they do involves protecting rainforests, planting trees, and encouraging equality. Ever since Russia first invaded Ukraine, the organization has expanded to help there as well.
So, Jackson traveled from Florida to Poland to help find housing for refugees, especially those struggling to find pet-friendly accommodations. However, he recently learned that dogs from Ukraine cannot stay at shelters with dogs from Poland due to disease concerns. Thus, Jackson quickly came up with a solution to protect all the homeless dogs, and he has helped some dog lovers in the process.
A Safe Place for Ukraine Dogs
Since Ukrainian dogs can’t come to Poland animal organizations, Jackson created his own shelter specifically for Ukrainian pets. He found an empty animal shelter in Poznań, Poland, so he got permission to take over its operations.
It didn’t take long for Jackson to find an overwhelmed Ukraine rescue that needed the help of a Poland shelter. So, two refugees volunteered to transport 17 dogs from Ukraine to Poland. Valerie Liscratenko and her mom, Liliana, made the trip because they already knew the dogs well. The two women had spent 40 days in a bomb shelter with these homeless dogs. So, the women and dogs had been there for each other during the 40 hardest days of their lives.
“When they came to us, all I knew was that they had no money and nowhere to go,” Jackson said. “And I could see right away that they were good with dogs. I couldn’t help but notice that all the dogs really loved (them).”
Even before the war, Valerie and Liliana had a soft spot for rescuing dogs. At the beginning of the invasion, they would make regular trips to feed the dogs at the rescue, but when the situation got more dangerous, they brought all the dogs into the bomb shelter with them. They hadn’t planned to leave the bomb shelter, but the water near them became contaminated, causing humans and animals to get sick. So, when they saw Jackson posting about the animal shelter in Poland, they reached out.
The Need for Help Continues
Even though Jackson can’t speak the same language as the refugees, he could tell that caring for animals is a passion for them. So, he offered them a job at the shelter to keep them safe from the Russian invasion. Their knowledge about each dog was especially helpful when it came to daily care and medical attention.
“They know these dogs incredibly well. So, they were able to pass this knowledge on to the vet … ‘this dog hasn’t been eating, this dog hasn’t been drinking.’ So, this was, obviously, incredibly valuable,” Jackson said.
The dogs are like children for Valerie and Liliana, especially since they’ve been through so much together. Valerie said that even though everyone at the shelter speaks a different language, they’re all united because of their love for animals.