01.10.22
Naturewatch Foundation has been running education and training programs across Ukraine since 1994, helping to change laws, improve animal welfare standards and to spay and neuter dogs and cats.
Seven months of war has left deep scars across Ukraine. Farm, wild and companion animals also have become innocent victims; killed, injured or traumatised through abandonment, missile attacks and more. The ambitious Naturewatch Foundation online conference for the animals of war heard from those helping animals on the front-line, making heroic rescues whilst bombs fall and those from neighbouring countries supporting by shipping tonnes of humanitarian aid across Europe. Bats have become disoriented by burning buildings, bears have been evacuated under shelling whilst millions of battery hens perished as electricity failed.
When was the conference held?
Our three-day global online took place from the 27th – 29th of September 2022. The event reached around the world crossing time zones and bringing 24 experts together in five languages to explain what still needs to be done to help these animals in distress. Over 200 attendees took part from over 20+ countries.
During times of societal stress, animal welfare can suffer. Professionals from the USA, Ukraine, Canada, Italy and Greece explained about the ‘one health’ message of animal welfare, human and environmental health being interlinked, and why you can’t help one aspect, unless you help all.
But guest presenters also gave hope of how animals can pull people through tragedy, of how missing animals have been reunited with owners using innovative technology and how animal groups and communities can work together in collaboration and compassion.
Find out more about the speakers at our conference
Oleksandra Lischyshina
Director of “Four Paws Ukraine” LLC, which is part of the international humanitarian initiative “FOUR PAWS International”. This organization is world-known for its global initiatives to save wild animals. “Four Paws Ukraine” is one of the organizations that – at the national level – helps Ukraine to solve the issue of homeless animals.
Watch Oleksandra’s presentation from the conference
Andrew Campbell
(CEO – Campbell Research & Consulting) is an expert on family violence and the associated risks of harm for adults, children, and animals residing in homes where this violence occurs. Andrew recently obtained his Masters in Public Health from Purdue University and has presented at over 100 professional conferences and trainings since 2019. Andrew has authored 12 academic publications over the last two years that include papers cited by the FBI, CDC, and in over 700 international academic studies. His book, “Not Without My Pet: Understanding the Relationship between Victims of Domestic Violence and Their Pets”, was released September of 2021. In addition to being an author, researcher, and educator, Andrew also speaks as a survivor of family violence in childhood.
Andrew Campbell can be contacted via:
Email – andrew@campbellresearchandconsulting.com
X – @amcampbell84 @campconsult
Facebook – @CampbellResearchandConsulting
Watch Andrew’s presentation from the conference
Maryna Surkova
A qualified lawyer and economist, vice-president of the Association of Animal Welfare Organizations of Ukraine. She founded the organization “Protection of Human Rights”, which became a member of the All-Union Association of Animal Protection Organizations of Ukraine. As part of her educational activities, Marina provides legal assistance for the protection of animals and helps train police officers to investigate crimes against animals. She participated in several working groups, developing several bills to improve animal protection, and in 2019 she gave a report on homeless animals at parliamentary hearings on the environmental policy of Ukraine.
Watch Maryna’s presentation from the conference
Francesca Sorcinelli
Francesca Sorcinelli is the founder of LINK-ITALIA Association and co-founder of Violence Social Promotion. She is a professional educator who worked in areas such as recovery of minors from prostitution and in the community with drug addicts. She is the founder of the Zoo Anthropology of Deviance and since 2009 organises training, conferences and post graduate courses on the social implications of mistreatment and violence towards animals. Co-founder of the Violence Social Promotion Association in Italy which deals with shelters for the protection of families consisting of women, minors and animals affected by abuse.
Watch Francesca’s presentation from the conference
Mark Randell
Former senior UK police detective with specialisms in tackling serious crime, international policing, undercover operations and criminal motivation. Mark now carries out undercover investigations on animal abuse and exploitation and trains police officers and others around the world on the relevance of animal crimes within communities. Mark is currently the Campaign manager for the Naturewatch Foundation Ukraine programme.
Mark Randell can be contacted via email at – mark@naturewatch.org
Watch Mark’s presentation from the conference
Olga Chevganiuk
COO of UAnimals. Since 2018 – co-founder of public organisation. What does it mean – to save animals during war? Since 2016, UAnimals has been promoting the humane treatment of animals, their protection from exploitation and abuse. We have managed to ban circuses with animals in two dozen cities, agree to abandon natural fur by several dozen designers, as well as achieve the adoption of several important animal rights laws over recent years.
However, on February 24, 2022, Russia attacked Ukraine and now the main efforts of UAnimals are focused on rescuing animals in this situation. We help shelters financially, we provide them with food and try to evacuate animals to other countries or to save places in Ukraine.
Watch Olga’s presentation from the conference
Kate Parker
Campaign manager at Naturewatch Foundation and has spent 10 years working in animal welfare charities including investigating animal cruelty. She runs the campaign against wildlife crime in the UK training police officers to enforce the law, advises on legislation change and campaigns for stronger laws. Since February 2022 Kate has worked closely with Mark Randell managing the Naturewatch Foundation response to the war in Ukraine from the Polish borders.
Kate Parker can be contacted via email at – kate@naturewatch.org
Watch Kate’s presentation from the conference
Teena Stoddart
Was a police officer for 30 years supporting many critical thinking positions. She held positions in frontline policing, Human Resources, Major Case Management, Planning, Performance and Analytics, Quality Assurance, and as the Violence Link Coordinator. Received training on serial sexual predators from RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police), as well as training at FBI conferences.
As a subject matter expert on the violence link, Teena has served on expert discussion panels, testified at the Justice Committee in the House of Commons on Bill C-84, met with Federal and Provincial politicians on legislative issues, authored a Parliamentary Brief which resulted in mandatory violence link training for Judiciary, and presented at various conferences and community groups focused on the Violence link.
Teena Stoddart can be contacted via:
Phone – Canada 613-408-5858
Email – stoddatm@violencelinkconsulting.com
Watch Teena’s presentation from the conference
Olga Kirilovich
Founded the Dog-Friendly City initiative in 2014. This grassroots initiative was established for the advocacy of owned dogs’ welfare in urban conditions. Later, their activities included the issues of homeless animals’ welfare too. Advisor on animal welfare for the Lviv City Council.
Co-developer of the draft Law of Ukraine “On Registration and Identification of Domestic Animals”. Co-author of the Rules for the Maintenance and Treatment of Animals (adopted by the Lviv City Council on January 23, 2020), Co-author of the Program for Establishment of Infrastructure for Proper Dog Walking in Lviv for 2020-2023, which was adopted by the Lviv City Council on September 19, 2019 (provides for 47 off-leash areas and 51 walking routes throughout the city to be financed from the budget). Project manager of the grant project for free of charge microchipping of dogs in Lviv (initiated by IRS, NGO and financed by Dogs Trust Worldwide) . In January 2020 was included in the “List of Lviv citizens, we all can be proud of”. Co-founder of UPAW, established in March 2022.
Olga Kirilovich can be contacted via email at – upawukraine@gmail.com
Watch Olga’s presentation from the conference
Oksana Koshak
A co-developer of the draft Law of Ukraine “On Registration and Identification of Domestic Animals”, expert speaker on the treatment of animals at forums, seminars, lectures, participant and co-coordinator of the introduction into the educational program of Lviv of lessons on humane treatment of animals “The Little Prince. Lviv, which Loves Animals”, author of Municipal Policy of Stray Dogs Population Regulation, co-author of the Rules for the Maintenance and Treatment of Animals, co-author of the Program for Establishment of Infrastructure for Proper Dog Walking, Consultant on animal treatment for local governments, public utility companies, public organizations, In 2017 she received the honorary title “The Best Business Executive of the Year in Solving Social and Economic Issues” in accordance with the decision of the Presidency of the Central Committee of the Trade Union of Ukraine, specialist in attracting business, international partners to assist in the implementation of change projects and international innovative solutions for Ukraine, In January 2020 was included in the “List of Lviv citizens, we all can be proud of”. Co-founder of UPAW.
Oksana Koshak can be contacted via email at – upawukraine@gmail.com
Watch Oksana’s presentation from the conference
Inna Doroniuk
Helping animals in need since 2004. Graduated from a large number of courses in cynology, zoo psychology, canine therapy, hippotherapy and veterinary medicine. For several years she worked as a therapist for children with developmental disorders, with the participation of Cane Corso Bonnie, her therapy dog. For many years, on a volunteer basis, she has been financially helping low-income families and pensioners in fostering and treatment of their pets. She administers cynological and felinological communities, helps people with advice on caring for and raising pets.
Together with Olga Kirilovich and Oksana Koshak, she founded public organization UPAW (“Ukrainian Pet Association Worldwide”) with the outbreak of the full-scale war in Ukraine. Now the goal of her activity is direct communication with the affected regions, ensuring that all those in need can receive the assistance necessary.
Watch Inna’s presentation from the conference
Maria Trunova
The head of the Public Association of Animal Advocates. Curator of the direction of protection of wild animals from abusive treatment, as well as from keeping them in inappropriate conditions. For many years, she has been rescuing bears, tigers and other animals from circuses and private zoos. Now she helps in the evacuation of animals from zoos that are in dangerous places.
Maria Trunova of UAAA can be contacted via Facebook at www.facebook.com/UAAA-226712111561480
Watch Maria’s presentation from the conference
Dr. Alyona Prylutska
A chrysanthemum specialist. Candidate of biological sciences. Co-founder of the Ukrainian Batsukraine Rehabilitation Centre.
Dr Alona Prylutska can be contacted via:
Email – bat.kharkov@gmail.com
Facebook – www.facebook.com/BatsUkraine
Website – http://batsukraine.org/en/
Patreon – www.patreon.com/batsukraine
Watch Alyona’s presentation from the conference
Olena Baran
Coordinator of volunteers in Open Cages Ukraine. She is responsible for making the local group stronger and more effective, for integrating new volunteers and for instructing campaign coordinators on how to be better in managing their teams.
Olena Baran can be contacted via:
Emails – contact@opencages.com.ua and Olena.baran@opencages.com.ua
Watch Olena’s presentation from the conference
Alevtyna Kozachok
Board Member of Open Cages Ukraine. She is involved in strategic planning and building the organization as a whole, improving the internal processes and operations of the team, as well as running the business-oriented campaign UA Plant-Based, which focuces on growing plant-based market in Ukraine .
Alevtyna Kozachok can be contacted via:
Email – contact@opencages.com.ua
Patreon – www.patreon.com/opencagesua
Watch Alevtyna’s presentation from the conference
Gregg Tully
The Country Director of Save the Dogs and Other Animals, where he is internationalizing the organization and managing its response to the crisis in Ukraine. After earning a Ph.D. in Biology, he went to Nepal as the acting Executive Director of the Kathmandu Animal Treatment Centre. As the CEO of Soi Dog Foundation, the largest animal protection organization in Southeast Asia, he led it through a phase of rapid growth. He then became the CEO of PASA, the largest association of wildlife centres in Africa, which expanded from a staff of one to a staff of eight with 40 volunteers.
Gregg Tully – can be contacted via email at gregg@savethedogs.eu
Watch Gregg’s presentation from the conference
Roksana Robertson
(Psiierociniec, Poland) A dog training instructor and a behaviourist specialised in dog aggression and canine communication, with over 15 years of experience. Along with improving the dog-human relationship and repairing often fragile or even broken bond between dogs and their people, her real passion is Brainwork, Detection and Mantrailing. In all the work she does, she uses a dog’s natural ability and its primal need to work with the nose, to help the dog to improve its emotional state and hence change behaviour. The emotional welfare of a dog is her priority. Author of programs for staff working in Dog Shelters “TRACK DOWN YOUR NEW HOME”. One of the co-founder of Charity Psierociniec in Poland and has been helping the animals of Ukraine.
Watch Roxana’s presentation from the conference
Evangelos Drivas
A Greek Clinical Psychologist, Psychotherapist and Police Officer. He works for the Health Department of Hellenic Police in psychological support of Greek Police Officers. He graduated from the Greek Police Academy and later from the Psychological Department of Panteion University. He has a Master of Science in Clinical & Community Psychology from the University of East London. He implements Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy and Schema Therapy. He has a great interest in topics, such as interpersonal violence, narcissism and animal cruelty. He has attended a lot of educational programs and trainings in forensic psychology, bullying, criminology, animal welfare and dogs’ cognition and emotion.
He is the creator of Report Animal Abuse Greece, a Greek blog and Facebook page. There, articles are posted about the procedures and the ways of reporting animal abuse to Greek authorities. He has a written the only Greek study about “The correlation between animal abuse/cruelty and the interpersonal violence | The psychological-criminal profiling of animal abusers”. This study is the second after the first which was written by him in 2017 about the same topic. In addition, he has written one more extended study about “The spectrum of animal abuse: the animal hoarding”. In December 2021, he presented the topics of his studies about the correlation between animal abuse/cruelty and the interpersonal violence and the animal hoarding for the first time in Greece in the Conference of Forensic Psychiatry.
Evangelos Drivas can be contacted via:
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/vagelisdrivaspsychologist
Facebook – report animal abuse, Greece – https://www.facebook.com/groups/1513063675610556
Watch Evangelos’ presentation from the conference
Antonina Goshovska
Animal advocate, canine therapist, psychologist, lawyer, author and project manager of animal protection and canine therapy projects, head of the “School of Canine Therapy”, deputy head of the GS “Ukrainian Association of Animal Advocates”, regional coordinator of the Four Paws project “Development of a Humane Community”, in .at. Chairman of the NGO “Volunteer Movement “Nebaiduzhi”.
Antoninia Goshovska can be contacted va:
Phone +380975300538 / +380503748710
Email – canistherapy.ua.by@gmail.com
Watch Antonina’s presentation from the conference
Viktor Kopach
CEO of AnimalId.info, a Ukrainian start-up that develops IT services for pet owners, vets and shelters.
Website – https://animal-id.net
Watch Victor’s presentation from the conference
Yaryna Antoniuk
Coordinator of Kharkiv Animal Rescue. This NGO have been working tirelessly to help animals for many years already. The war has brought even more work to them. Now they get abandoned animals from closed houses and flats, evacuate animals, sometimes with their owners to safer places in Ukraine and abroad and treat injured ones.
Facebook – www.facebook.com/spt.kh
Telegram – @AnimalRescueKharkiv
Email – yaryna.vintoniuk@gmail.com
Watch Yaryna’s presentation from the conference
Olena Kravchenko
Head and a co-founder of Kharkiv NGO “Together” and Kharkiv coordinator from UPAW. She has been volunteering for the welfare of animals for more than 20 years and has been a part of hundreds of projects to help companion and wild animals. In February 2022 she stayed in Kharkiv to help animals, and now she is managing spay-neuter project, deliveries of food and rehoming abandoned animals in Kharkiv region.
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/ngotogether
Watch Olena’s presentation from the conference
Oleksandra Tselishcheva
Ukraine Program Manager at “Veterinaries without Borders” (Canada), expert on animal and human health
Website – https://vetswithoutborders.ca/
email – oleksandra@vetswithoutborders.ca
Watch Oleksandra’s presentation from the conference
Other contacts include:
Lviv Vegan Kitchen
Email – knechtfender@gmail.com
Patreon – www.patreon.com/lvivvegankitchen
To find out more about how we’ve been supporting the people and animals of Ukraine during the conflict, please visit our Animal Welfare in Ukraine campaign pages.
