Unit of soldier who helped find dog from Khmelnytskyi to be rewarded with pickup truck

This was reported to a Ukrinform correspondent by Yurii Humenko, a volunteer and head of the Ark Ukraine public organization.

"Bella is my friends' dog, whom I have known since she was a puppy. She lived with them in their house and went missing on December 30. At first, my friends searched for her on their own, driving around the city and responding to every notification, but many scammers wanted to make money off the search for the dog. On January 4, I met Bella's owner and decided to help by spreading the information on social media and joining the search," said Humenko.

According to him, the search for Bella took them to many towns around Khmelnytskyi. As soon as people reported seeing the dog somewhere, those who were looking for her immediately went there. When they found Bella's tracks in the village of Shumivtsi, they requested assistance from the State Emergency Service. Rescuers responded to the request and joined the search with drones.

Humenko says that Bella's tracks were periodically lost as she wandered through fields, forests, and bushes. The dog was frightened, disoriented, and ran away from people several times.

Bella was found in the village of Bohdanivtsi, where residents joined forces to rescue her. In total, the dog traveled about 60-70 km. She lost weight and has some bruises and scratches. The beloved pet will be taken to the vet for a checkup.

"A reconnaissance officer who is currently undergoing rehabilitation joined the search for Bella. He saw my post and decided to lend a hand. The soldier drove his car with us. He said that he had a medical examination on January 13, so he had to find the dog before that date. The soldier was so committed to this cause that Bella's owner and I decided to buy a pickup truck for his unit. We ordered the car, and it is already on its way. The pickup truck will have license plates with the inscription “Bella.” The soldier did not expect this, and he is thrilled," added Humenko.

As reported by Ukrinform, volunteers and animal welfare organizations in Kyiv rescued 40 cats and one dog from a house in the village of Kremenyshche, Obukhiv district, Kyiv region, while more than 50 animals died there.

The photos are provided by Yurii Humenko