24/02/2026
Day 2 of my Ukraine mission…
Four years ago today, war broke out in Ukraine. Four years of devastation that is immense, immeasurable and utterly unimaginable. The people and the animals of this beautiful country deserve so much more. They deserve peace. They deserve compassion. They deserve love.
Today is also World Spay Day, and I am standing in Anya’s clinic in Mykolaiv watching what real hope looks like. A steady flow of dogs, scooped from the streets this morning by extraordinary volunteers, brought in for sterilisation so they don’t give birth to more suffering...
I also met an extraordinary force of strength today, Anna Kurkurina, who has dedicated her life to rescuing, sterilising and protecting Ukraine’s abandoned animals when so many others have been forced to flee.
When asked why she is doing all this, Anna answers without hesitation: “It is always the duty of those who are stronger to protect the weaker”.
…Since the war began, millions of animals have been left behind. Some families escaped. Many did not. Anna told me she could never leave, never walk away while thousands of animals would be left to die. The animals do not deserve this.
Anna, you are my hero. Thank you for your courage, your strength and your relentless love.
We must try our best to make our world a better place.
Please help me by donating via the link in my bio. Thank you so much for any help you are able to give.
Nikki xx