Heroic Man Would Rather Die Than Abandon His Ukraine Animal Shelter

Whereas many individuals are fleeing Ukraine amid the Russian invasion, one hero is standing his floor. Andrea Cisternino runs an animal shelter in Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital. He has over 400 animals in his care together with canines, cats, sheep, goats, and pigs. He at the moment has no technique to transport all of the animals to security, so he has vowed to stick with them throughout these darkish occasions.

Cisternino is aware of that staying in Kyiv places his life in danger, however he says he’d slightly die than abandon all of the animals. He has spent years rescuing animals in want, so he gained’t cease anytime quickly.

A True Hero

Cisternino is an Italian photographer who moved to Ukraine about 13 years in the past. He ended up marrying a Ukrainian lady and beginning a rescue to avoid wasting the stray animals within the nation.

When Cisternino began his rescue, lots of people weren’t happy. At one level, the federal government was even giving folks rewards for killing stray canines. However now that folks have a greater understanding of the work Cisternino does for animals in want, they’ve been extra accepting of his rescue.

Cisternino was simply as shocked as everybody when the Russians invaded Ukraine. But, he didn’t hesitate when deciding what to do. Each he and his spouse selected to remain in Kyiv regardless of the dangers. Day-after-day because the invasion started, Cisternino can hear gunshots from 5 am to eight pm, however he refuses to let that scare him away from the rescue. Many different Ukrainians are additionally preserving their pets by their sides throughout these tough occasions.

“I’ll die right here for my animals. I’ve to consider saving a refuge and its 400 company who should be protected at any price,” Cisternino stated.

Saving Animals Amid a Battle

Cisternino by no means anticipated one thing so horrific to occur out of the blue, however fortunately, he was ready. After the battle in Donbas a number of years in the past, he gathered provisions as a precaution. He saved his further provides all this time simply in case one thing went flawed. Planning forward may need saved the animals’ lives.

Many individuals have reached out to Cisternino through social media to ensure he’s okay. He defined that he doesn’t have time to reply to each message, however he posts updates as a lot as he can to let his 70,600 followers know he’s alive. He has shared images of himself with the animals, together with a video of Russian helicopters flying over his property.

“This morning the sky across the Refuge was purple, steady artillery firing even by means of the night time, can’t sleep. I noticed quarter-hour in the past an artillery shot falling removed from the Refuge, however I might odor the gunpowder properly. I heard army columns within the distance they moved, planes flew by,” Cisternino wrote on Fb.

Cisternino will keep by his animals’ sides it doesn’t matter what. Hopefully, these horrors will finish quickly, however within the meantime, he’ll preserve being a hero for his four-legged companions.

H/T: onegreenplanet.org
Featured Picture: Fb