FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. — Two dozen cats are arriving at an animal rescue in Fairfax County from Ukraine this week as they await their fur-ever homes.
Homeward Trails Animal Rescue, which provides pet adoptions across the DMV, will be taking in 24 cats just a week after eight others arrived with the animal rescue's executive director Sue Bell.
Bell and longtime volunteer with the rescue Shana Aufenkamp spent two weeks volunteering at an animal shelter in Ukraine, sparking this rescue effort.
“Having just gotten to know all these kitties while we were in Ukraine caring for them and learning of their harrowing rescue stories, we are just so glad to be able to welcome them here and get to work in securing loving homes for them,” Bell said.
Aufenkamp, who traveled to Ukraine for a month in May to volunteer for an organization that helps evacuate and care for animal victims of war, said what she saw there was incredibly sad. This made her want to return to the country and help more.
“To know that some of these animals have barely survived the harsh cruelty of this war and to know they now face months and maybe years in a shelter is just heartbreaking,” Aufenkamp said. “We put it out to our donors to seek their support to make a difference for these kitties and they stepped up. So the choice to go back and help and then bring these kitties over was an easy one.”
The duo said it takes a lot to take animals out of Ukraine. It can take up to 16 hours to get the cats out of one country by van and into another and then to the airport.
The arriving cats have a variety of stories including being rescued from bombed-out buildings and animal shelters to being given up by loving owners who had to flee the country. Some of the cats arriving will be headed to Crumbs & Whiskers, the renown Georgetown cat café, which will allow these purr-fect animals to rest at the café before moving on to loving, adoptive homes. A true rags to riches story.
The cats are set to arrive at Dulles Airport on Oct. 26 and 27 before heading to the Homeward Trails Adoption Center for intake.
