Helping Dogs in Ukraine
Banning Russian Dogs Won't Help
For many of us who have a historical connection to Soviet/Russian tyranny, watching our sisters and brothers struggle in Ukraine is both disheartening and familiar. I was so proud to see my Czech people filling the streets in protest over the invasion in Ukraine.
Vaclav Havel, a dissident under the Soviet regime who was imprisoned and went on the become the first President of the Czech Republic had this to say once:
Truth and love will overcome lies and hatred.
Governments do not always represent their people and I am sure many Russians are disgusted by their leadership. I don't believe it helps anyone to ban Russian music, Russian food, or even Russian vodka. Compelling speech or banning people is doing the very thing we claim to hate about dictatorships.
The American Kennel Club announced that it will ban Russian breeders and their dogs from competing at Crufts, an international dog show currently taking place in the UK. 51 dogs that have worked hard and have trained night and day are being denied the opportunity to participate because they're Russian.
This ban is extended to all AKC events in the near future. https://www.akc.org/press-releases/update-akc-crisis-ukraine/
This is not only unnecessary, it's hateful. These dogs have nothing to do with the war in Ukraine and to assume these dogs and their trainers are going to harm Ukrainians is reactionary at best, utterly illogical at worst.
War makes us less humane. It tells lies about our so-called enemies. During WWII some desperate people in America and Britain killed their German dogs, especially Dachshunds. These dogs were at times kicked or stoned to death. Such cruelty seems unimaginable and far away. But is it?
The attack on Ukraine is wrong. Banning all things Russian, especially innocent dogs, won't help.
To help dogs suffering from the consequences of the invasion in Ukraine here are some charities you may want to support.
The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) www.ifaw.org
Humane Society International (HSI). www.hsi.org
My favorite charity for helping people in Ukraine is Hamantashen for Ukraine. This charity raises money for the Ukrainian people by having bakers make this cookie and using the profits to assist Ukrainian refugees at the Polish border. Why Hamantashen? From the website:
Hamantashen are a symbolic cookie for the holiday of Purim - a time of reflection about destructive megalomaniacs and triumph of good over evil. Ukrainians are, in real time, facing a modern-day Haman in Vladimir Putin. Let’s do what we can to help.
Thank you for gathering data and spreading the words to share on how anyone of us can help. This is helpful!