SPECIAL | Left behind: a volunteer army rescues the animals of Ukraine
The Excerpt
USA TODAY
4.1 • 1.2K Ratings
🗓️ 15 May 2024
⏱️ 14 minutes
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Summary
It has now been over two years since Russia invaded Ukraine. As the people of Ukraine fled their homes, many were forced to leave their belongings behind and, for some, that included beloved pets. At animal shelters, volunteers who’d dedicated their lives to saving animals had to choose between abandoning those animals in what became active war zones or staying behind to face bombs and Russian soldiers. Luckily for the animals, as one rescuer put it, fear was often overcome by compassion. Popular Ukranian YouTuber and wartime storyteller Anton Ptushkin's new documentary "Saving the Animals of Ukraine," premieres Wednesday, May 15th, on PBS Nature. He joins The Excerpt to discuss humanity’s responsibility to animals during wartime.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Wunderry Plus subscribers can listen to USA Today's The Excerpt, ad free right now. |
| 0:05.0 | Join Wunderry Plus in the Wundery app. |
| 0:08.0 | Hello and |
| 0:15.0 | this is a special episode of the excerpt. |
| 0:17.0 | Today is Wednesday, May 15, 2024, and this is a special episode of the excerpt. |
| 0:29.4 | It's now been over two years since Russia invaded Ukraine as a people of Ukraine fled their homes many were forced to leave their belongings behind and for some that included |
| 0:35.1 | beloved pets. |
| 0:36.4 | At animal shelters, volunteers who dedicated their lives to saving animals had to choose |
| 0:41.4 | between abandoning those animals in what became active war zones |
| 0:45.1 | or staying behind to face bombs and Russian soldiers. |
| 0:48.9 | Luckily for animals, as one rescuer put it, fear was often overcome by compassion. |
| 0:55.0 | What is humanity's responsibility to animals during wartime? |
| 0:59.0 | Our guest is popular Ukrainian Youter and wartime storyteller, |
| 1:04.2 | Anton Petushkin, whose new documentary Nature |
| 1:07.5 | Saving the Animals of Ukraine premieres tonight, |
| 1:10.5 | Wednesday, May 15th on PBS. |
| 1:13.0 | If it is alive, we need to help it because you have to understand that the whole |
| 1:17.8 | staircase from that part of the building was demolished. |
| 1:21.6 | So there was no chance for the animal to get down and that's |
| 1:25.3 | what it all started. Thanks for being on the excerpt, Anton. Thank you I have an |
| 1:28.9 | enemy. I know. Thank you. Through your lens we see the effects of war on animals and the people who care for them |
| 1:35.8 | how are attitudes about non-human lives and the effects of war evolving since the start of |
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