A 77-Year-Old Ukrainian Woman Puts Her Life On The Line To Care For Over 700 Animals At A Shelter
A 77-year-old woman in Ukraine chose to stay behind when many others were fleeing, and her reason was simple, she could not leave the animals. Asya Serpinska kept caring for more than 700 animals at her shelter in Hostomel, even as Russian forces closed in on the town near Kyiv.
What started as a rescue shelter turned into a wartime refuge for dogs, cats, and even abandoned zoo animals. Serpinska and a small team kept going through shelling, fire, and direct threats, trying to save as many lives as they could while the fighting raged around them.
Her story is a reminder that survival in war can look very different from one day to the next. Read on.
Asya Serpinska, a 77-year-old Ukrainian woman, risked her life to stay behind and care for over 700 animals in her animal rescue.
“The first thought that crossed my mind was that I had to run to the shelter,” Serpinska recalls. “I was consciously going to war. My people were here, my dogs were here.”
As if that wasn't enough, Serpinska also took over the management of a small private zoo after witnessing it burn to the ground. Its previous owners had fled, fearful for their own safety and unsure of how to protect themselves and the creatures they housed.
However, their departure left the unfortunate creatures alone and unable to survive. Serpinska and her colleagues had to struggle through the smoke to save as many animals as possible when they arrived.
There were many unusual animals among the wildlife, such as turtles and peacocks. However, one lion managed to survive the fire and was rescued by the rescuers.
That was only the beginning of the danger.
“The first thought that crossed my mind was that I had to run to the shelter"
“For five weeks, we would go there under shelling and bullets to feed that lion because it had been locked in a cage and we didn’t have the keys,” Serpinska recalls.
She and her team were threatened by Russian soldiers who planted a land mine near the lion's cage, but she attempted to talk with them to prevent the innocent animal from being killed. Despite her best efforts, the troops detonated the mine, but the lion managed to survive.
Serpinska also took over the management of a small private zoo
Russian soldiers came to the shelter on several occasions and even tried to kill a lion she rescued from a zoo
On another occasion, Russian soldiers arrived at the shelter and proceeded to lock Serpinska and her team in a room, telling them that a land mine had been placed on the door, which would kill everyone if they opened it. They soon discovered that the threat had been a hoax to pressure them into compliance when they were rescued.
That did not, however, alleviate their anxiety and distress. Serpinska and her team had many dangerous and potentially life-threatening interactions with Russian troops when they seized the town, including one terrible incident in which Serpinska's own beloved dog, Gina, was slain.
Despite the pain and terror, they persisted. Serpinska is attempting to restore her shelter now that Hostomel is back under Ukrainian authority while it heals from the war's damage.
It also echoes the injured Siberian tiger that sought human help in a village, until a rescue team arrived.
Even after everything, she kept looking ahead.
The most important thing is responsibility,” she says. “Rescue animals to remain human.”
Despite their horrible experiences, the animals appear to be happy and healthy.
Many of the town's buildings have been burned or destroyed, leaving much of the town desolate. The courageous 77-year-old woman, on the other hand, is optimistic about the future.
Serpinska has already started collecting donations to keep the shelter open, and she is still finding homes for the animals she worked so hard to protect as the town returns to life. Against all odds, she made it to the other side while doing her best to offer a safe and caring environment for helpless animals.
They are all hoping for a better tomorrow
Surprisingly, despite their traumatic experiences, the shelter animals appear to be happy and healthy. And for Serpinska, that is the most important thing.
“It doesn’t matter who you protect: children, people, animals, nature. The most important thing is responsibility,” she says. “Rescue animals to remain human.”
We hope she and the whole of Ukraine will return to a peaceful life soon.
A little kindness went a very long way here.
After that, see the woman who vaulted a zoo fence for an African lion encounter.
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