Barsik: A Journey from Ukraine's War Zone to Arkansas

Our Barsik, a war victim and an amputee, just traveled 6,000 miles from Ukraine to Arkansas , and now he’s finally home, with a wonderful owner Lorin and his new Ukrainian bandana, starting his new life! Welcome home, Barsik!

Barsik was in a zone of active fighting near Kramatorsk, Ukraine and a shrapnel from a rocket injured his leg. Ukrainian soldiers took him to the clinic, but unfortunately they couldn’t save his leg and had to amputate.

Then our organization took him to one of our houses and a little while later we found an owner in the US who wanted to adopt Barsik!

Now with the war and US CDC ban, it is harder than ever to get dogs to the US and we have come a long way to get Barsik home…

First, our great friend and volunteer from the US, Rick Armand, drove Barsik from Ternopil, Ukraine to Poland. We had to board him for 10-14 days in Poland, because he needed time to be approved by a Polish veterinarian and issued a health certificate to leave the country. Then John Flatley, our flight volunteer from Maryland, USA flew to Warsaw, Poland to meet Barsik and fly with him back to the US! Thank you so much!

At the airport in the US at the same time John and Barsik came out of customs, a group of Ukrainian soldiers with amputated limbs were arriving! They came to the US to get prosthetics for missing limbs! They were chanting and singing the Ukrainian anthem! And when people found out that Barsik was also an amputee from the Ukrainian war they all started to gather around him to say hello!

After he arrived in the US, Vika and Peter Lopipero fostered Barsik. And our director Mandy Allen contacted Pilots N Paws and Florida Urgent Rescue (FUR) because we needed help getting Barsik to Arkansas!

Thank you so much to pilot Morgan Sullivan who flew Barsik from Connecticut to Cincinnati, Ohio, and to pilot James Abbott who flew him to Paducah, Kentucky!

Many thanks also to the volunteers from Florida Urgent Rescue, Inc. – FUR, Sam Griffis and her Mom, Jeanette Hart! They came from Jacksonville to meet Barsik in Kentucky and drive him to Arkansas!

MANY THANKS TO ALL OF YOU!