When sirens rang out and Russian missiles began pummeling Ukraine’s cities, hundreds of thousands of people fled their homes, many bringing with them the cats, dogs and other pets they cannot leave behind.

A puppy peers his head from a pet carrier after his owner fled the conflict from neighbouring Ukraine at the Romanian-Ukrainian border, in Siret, Romania, Sunday, Feb. 27, 2022. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru) 

In photos, fleeing Ukranians show a heartbreaking but remarkable display of love and loyalty for their animal companions, as the Dodo.com and other outlets reported. Animal rescue organizations in Ukraine also have shown extraordinary loyalty to the animals in their charge, even as battles rage nearby. They continue to care for animals amid flying bullets, power outages and dwindling reserves of food, water and other supplies.

“Volunteers in shelters and rehabilitation centers will never abandon their animals and will stand until the last,” a Facebook post for the nonprofit UA Animals said. UA Animals provides financial assistance to animal shelters throughout Ukraine.

Ukrainians fleeing their homes have hunkered down in subway stations, which are serving as bomb shelters, and kept their dogs warm under coats and blankets amid freezing temperatures outside. Others have toted cat carriers, along with the suitcases they dragged behind them. One now viral photo shows a man carrying his assault rifle over one shoulder and a cat and exotic fish in his hands, as he saved them from a shell-damaged building in Kyiv.

In the city of Lviv, 43 miles from the Polish border in Western Ukraine, evacuees even ditched their suitcases in favor of carrying their dogs and cats to safety, the Daily Mail reported.

A 23-year-old computer engineering student at Kharkiv National University, in eastern Ukraine, even refused the chance to fly home to India because the airline wouldn’t clear him to bring his dog, Maliboo, on board.

“I decided then that if my dog can’t leave, I won’t either,” Rishabh Kaushik told the Times of Indian, Newsweek reported. “I know that there is (a) risk in staying on but I can’t just abandon him. Who will take care of him if I go?”

A woman carries a pet rabbit as she exits a train arriving from Kiev at Przemysl main train station on February 23, 2022 in Przemysl, Poland. (Photo by Omar Marques/Getty Images) 

Sadly, battles near the Gostomel animal shelter, which is located close to an airfield outside Kyiv, left several animals dead from heart attacks, according to the Happy Paw Foundation, a nonprofit that provides financial assistance to shelters throughout Ukraine. Other animals were injured by bullets.

Fortunately, for Ukrainians fleeing with their pets, they should find a relatively warm welcome from the neighboring countries of Poland, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia, according to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals in the U.K. Unlike the airline that banned Kaushik’s dog, these countries have relaxed their requirements for entry, including not requiring proof of vaccinations, microchips or blood tests. Depending on the situation, the animals may have to quarantine for a few weeks but will be cared for.

“We have been deeply moved by accounts of people walking enormous distances with their animals in their arms,” PETA said in a statement.

Animal rescue organizations and volunteers in those countries have stepped up efforts to help. For example, the Romanian animal rescue organization Casa Lui Patrocle, in the city of Suceava, about 25 miles from the Ukraine border, wrote in a Facebook post that it would help evacuees pets by providing shelter and veterinary assistance to any any animal being brought into the country.

As this crisis for humans and their animals continues to unfold, there are ways to help people stay with their pets, or to help animals that remain in shelters in war-torn areas. People from the Bay Area can help by donating to organizations in Ukraine and elsewhere. Here are some of those organizations listed by The Dodo.com.

UAnimals: UAnimals is collecting donations to support animal shelters left with dwindling food  supplies. So far, they have sent assistance to at least 14 shelters across the country. UAnimals also is working to help animals at zoos and that belong to circuses. Donate at https://www.patreon.com/uanimals.

Happy Paw: This Kyiv-based nonprofit also supports shelter animals throughout Ukraine. Donate at https://happypaw.ua/en/contribution.

Sirius: This shelter focuses on caring for animals in Kyiv and nearby suburbs. “We are not going to run! We must believe in our country and our defenders!” Sirius wrote in a recent Instagram post. You can donate at https://dogcat.com.ua/en/.

Casa lui Patrocle: Volunteers for the Romanian nonprofit are at the border to make sure that families entering the country don’t have to leave their pets behind, the Dodo.com reported. Volunteers are helping to find housing, shelter and veterinary assistance for animals in need of help — regardless of species. You can donate at https://casaluipatrocle.ro/donatie-casa-lui-patrocle.

PETA’s Global Compassion Fund: PETA has sent teams to the Polish border to provide on-site assistance, including shepherding animals to safety. PETA in German  is coordinating a delivery of nearly two tons of animal food and blankets to shelters in Ukraine. Donate at https://www.peta.org.uk/action/ukraine/