From Today:
“One American left safety
behind to care for abandoned animals in Ukraine”
(Jeff Praul, pictured at an
animal shelter in Lviv, Ukraine, caring for abandoned or orphaned animals.)
Jeff Praul, 28, boarded a plane
to Ukraine because he wanted to help; now he's caring for stray dogs and
abandoned pets in Lviv. It's been over a month since Russia invaded Ukraine,
and more and more Americans are volunteering to help with ongoing war and
humanitarian efforts. One Maryland man has joined them, caring for abandoned
and orphaned animals in a shelter in Lviv. Jeff Praul, 28, was waiting tables
at a restaurant in the eastern shore of Maryland when the first Russian bombs
fell on Ukraine. Three days later, he was on a plane to Warsaw, Poland,
determined to help Ukrainians any way he could. "When Russia invaded Ukraine,
that entire day my heart just felt heavy," Praul told TODAY Parents via
Zoom. "I was just feeling like there was nothing I could do. It was
weighing on me a few days, and then I saw a clip of (Ukrainian President
Volodymyr) Zelenskyy saying, 'Friends of Ukraine, if you want to come and help,
help.' That flipped the switch in my mind and I realized there was a way for me
to get over here."
One of three children, Praul said
his family is supportive but not exactly thrilled about his decision to travel
overseas. "There was a lot of crying, especially from my mom, aunt, and
sister," he explained. "Even my dad — when we said goodbye, he had a
hard time looking at me. He told me he was proud of me and I saw tears, and I
can't remember the last time I've seen my dad tear up like that." "They're
really sad, because you don't know if that's the last time you're seeing them
in person," he added. "And I acknowledged that potential reality. But
they also understood — they know where my heart is and they know where my
intentions are. So they didn't want me to go — they still message me every day
saying, 'OK, it's time to come home now' — but they know who I am."
(Every day, Jeff Praul takes many
of the dogs in the animal shelter for a walk, working to build trust and give
the animals a feeling of normalcy.)
Praul's family has good reason to
worry — when he first arrived in Ukraine, he went to Yavoriv Military Training
Base located 25 miles from the Polish border, searching for ways to help. After
refusing to sign paperwork that would require him to pick up a gun and
potentially kill Russian soldiers, he left the base. Days later, Russian forces
launched more than 30 missiles at the base, killing 35 people and wounding 135
more. "When I found out it was the base I was at, I was just thinking
about the faces that I saw just a few days before," he said. "I was
thinking about the guy from the Netherlands that I traveled with and have yet
to hear from. So it's weird when you have those kind faces in your mind, not
knowing if they were the people who didn't make it or were injured." Narrowly
avoiding an attack, Praul made his way to Lviv, where he found Домiвка
Врятованих Тварин, loosely translated to "Home of Rescued Animals,"
an animal shelter working to care for both wild and domesticated animals who
have been abandoned, orphaned or displaced as a result of the war. "They
have all the dogs that just come from all over the place — there are some days
where they just get a huge number of animals just dumped on them, and that's
when it's really loud," Praul explained. "The dogs that I've been
working with almost every day now don't really like that — it's too noisy for
them. So it's harder to build those bonds of trust."
(One of Jeff Praul's many furry
friends at the animal shelter in Lviv, Ukraine.)
There can be as many as three
dozen animals at the shelter, though the number varies significantly as more
dogs are adopted to families both in Western Ukraine and those living in
neighboring countries. "There's a partner organization from Germany who
takes them up to Poland. They stay there during a quarantine period, and then
they bring them to Germany to get adopted, which is awesome," Praul
explained. "Two days ago we had 30 dogs. Yesterday I want to say around
10. Today, around six. So the dogs are getting adopted on the spot, which is
awesome." The dogs are a mix of strays and pets who have been left behind
by families fleeing the country, Praul said. When he walks the dogs, he can
immediately tell if the animal has been domesticated or not. Some of the dogs
seem oblivious to the war — their tails never stop wagging and they never stop
wanting to play. Others, however, have clearly been traumatized by violence. "The
dog I have the biggest attachment to right now, she can't go out because she
doesn't trust anyone," he added. "Animals don't have a choice in any
of this — it's human drama and the animals don't have any say. It's really
upsetting. One woman came with two dogs who were just left at a train station
tied to one of the poles, and they just had two pieces of paper with their
names and ages on them."
While Lviv is safer than other
areas of Ukraine, it is not immune to Russian attacks. On Saturday, plumes of
smoke blanketed the sky over Lviv after a series of explosions battered the
city. Praul was walking some dogs when the explosions occurred, far enough away
to remain unharmed. In that moment, the dogs Praul has been caring for
unknowingly cared for him, too. "Some of the dogs got a little riled up
for a bit, but two, three minutes after the hits I go back to the dogs and it's
just a loud noise to them," he explained. "Their tails were wagging —
they just wanted to get taken out and just wanted some love. It was calming, in
a way. I had a view of the attacks, but those dogs are just trying to enjoy
their day still. They're still trying to live." Praul says back at home,
the bills are piling up — he knows he will have to go back home soon after
spending a month in Ukraine. And while he is excited to get back to his family
and his own beloved pup, a part of him will remain in Ukraine. "I'm going
to try to extend my stay as long as I can," he said. "But I already
have a feeling that the day I leave I'm going to be feeling like I should be
back here."
^ He is a real hero who is
working hard to help those (dogs) that don’t have a choice or say in any of
this. ^
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