b'For instance, unbeknownst to many of these organiza-tions with no one on the ground, much of what was beingpurchased,donatedandshippedintoUkrainewasbeinghijacked,stockpiledandsoldontheblackmarket.Food,water, medicine, and other supplies were not getting to themostravagedareas,andthepeopleandanimalswhoneeded it most. Unfortunately, all of Mikes messages to theseorganizations for help went unanswered.When Will We Ever LearnDuring one of their missions into Ukraine, as Yannickand Mike were driving through a town, they saw a processionof mostly older women carrying jars with candles and flow-ers. This went on for blocks. It was the townspeople payingtheir respects to a soldier who had lived in their neighbor-hood. He died in combat, and this was a funeral processionoutintheopen,inbroaddaylight,insideawar zone. It seemed to go on for miles, Mike said. And, then ithit me, at that moment, how very independent these peopleare. They are fighting for their right to exist, and they are veryproud of their country.Evacuating People And Their Pets. Reuniting PeopleAnd Their Pets. In April 2022, Mikes second trip to Ukraineincluded three FUR volunteers who were also experienced indisasterreliefwork:KevinDykes,CarolineLingaitisandDoug Mincer. They worked with three international teammembers, Terry Hill and Georgie Hyams from the U.K., andAnna Stone from Austria. They rented two commercial vansone cargo and onepassenger, in addition to an SUV. Although they would notbeabletodrivetherentedvehiclesoverthebordertoUkraine, it gave the team additional flexibility to transportrefugees and their pets. There were two vehicles belonging toone of the international team members that were able to crossover the border. Continued on following page gDuring FURs second trip, Mike and his team completed twoseparate missions helping to evacuate refugees with pets, takingthem to their new homes in neighboring countries.www.TheNewBarker.com THE NEW BARKER 41'