Aid for Ukraine Animals

After several days working for this initiative, the only word to describe it is “AMAZING”.

2 weeks since Putin has decided to invade Ukraine, people had no choice but to leave their house and all their belonging. My heart goes not only to the people but also to the pets that are left behind. I was google-ing to find an organization where I can offer my contribution to safe the pets.

In week 10,  I have found the website of Hulpvoordierenuitoekraine, a simple and relative plain website, that seems has been launched only a couple day before. I have directly submitted my offer to help at the coordination center in Almere.

Now only weeks later the website has become professional even available in Ukraine & Russian. The number of volunteers, veterinaries, pet groomers and also people who offers their house to accommodate the pets who come with the owners grow every day. At the coordination center we match help requests to the help offers.

What amazes me is the way how AGILE is implemented automatically, without being aware of it. Every day 1 coordinator and several volunteers (+/- 4 per day) work together. To start the day there is a standing meeting on what we can do on that day. Everyone is passionate and motivated to bring their own knowledge, tasks are assigned to team members without any problems. Gathering information, put a structure in the process, answering the phone calls, collecting and sharing feedback to improve. Everything is organized in such a way so that the next day another team of volunteers can pick up again where the other team has stopped the day before. This AGILE way of working is achieved only in a couple of weeks with teams without any training and where most of team members never heard of the term AGILE before.

Why is everyone so motivated? The volunteers are basically so upset about the situation that Putin has created, that all are united in this common goal to help Ukraine.

Another amazing or rather touching experience is to hear how the Ukrainians love their pets. They ran away and could only grab the most valuable things in their life to bring with them and that is their Pet(s). It is also beautiful to see that people that love pets are in heart caring people.

It gives me a lot of positive energy to help this initiative. The next coming weeks I’ll be working from reception location @Jaarbeurs Utrecht where buses with Ukraine refugees arrive with their pet(s)