Ukrainian woman carried her elderly dog for 10 miles to the border to safety

As a Ukrainian woman lost her father on February 23, and then the following day, war broke out in her country with Russia setting an unprovoked attack, Alisa made quick arrangements to flee the country.

The woman’s first-person account detailed by The Guardian describes her harrowing journey to Poland with the help of a German company where she worked as a programmer. It had been planned to have Alisa, 35, leave with her husband and their two large dogs – one of the dogs had been her late father’s elderly German shepherd.

Alisa’s husband was not able to leave the country because of the mobilization order, and the journey by car lasted 16 hours where they rested, but decided to leave because of the dangers. The traffic close to Poland’s border was at a standstill, and she and her family would not be able to stay in their car for the next three to five days. Therefore, the only solution was to walk the final ten miles to the border in minus-seven-degree weather at 4:00 a.m.

“The elderly German shepherd, who is 12 and half years old, struggled to walk and fell every kilometer and couldn’t stand up again. Alisa asked people for help, but they declined and told her to leave the dog behind. But our dogs are part of our family. My dog has experienced all the happy and sad moments with us. Mum’s dog is all she has left of her former life. So my husband, at times, carried our dog on his shoulders.

Alisa as told to the Guardian

Alisa traveled with her five children, her husband and the dogs. Her husband did not cross the border into Poland, and instead headed back to his village to care for his mother and grandmother. His close relatives are all over 60 years old and have been living in a small house with no hot water, no electricity, no shops or food to be purchased in the village.

But when we took our first steps into Poland, when we showed our passes, it was then I realised that we would be OK, that we were in a safe place.

Alisa

Source: The Guardian

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27.02.2022
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