Volunteer Yulia Gorbacheva has been taking cats out of the destroyed cities and towns of Donbass for two years. The animals that lost their homes and owners were settled in the shelter "Just Musya", which Julia created together with other volunteers. Together with the team, she is also looking for families for the animals. From the beginning, Julia and her friends rescued more than 600 tailed ones.
"In March 2022, my mother-in-law broke her leg, she lives in Donetsk and my husband and I went to help her. Special military operation already been announced, but none of us knew what was really going on there. I have my own volunteers in Donetsk and so they told me about the plight of animals," Yulia recalls. — That's how I got to Volnovakha. Everything was destroyed. Once pets — purebred, mongrel — either sat on the ruins or hid in the basements. And we began to take them out. For the first time, 13 cats were taken, in my opinion. They were brought to our shelter. And after that, I realized that I would not stop."
Among the cats that are taken away by volunteers, there are shell-shocked, with shrapnel, gunshot wounds, all intimidated, oppressed.
"Sometimes we go home for two days. So, during this time, no one will even make a sound, they are all exhausted. We bring them to the shelter and here they are very quiet and cautious for some time, and then gradually open up like a lily. Everyone has very wise eyes, just such little fluffy philosophers," Julia continues.
Since 2021, the shelter "Just Musya" has been located in the spacious premises of one of the local animal volunteers, who offered help. But, after the start of special military operation, he left Russia and then asked the volunteers to move out. AIF journalists wrote about how the shelter "Just Musya" lost its housing. The owner of the premises did not like the political coloring of the cats – after all, they are from Donbass.
"We were invited on television to tell about the shelter. The owner of our premises also saw the program, called me the next day and said: "Julia, let's go quietly with you, I'm not kicking you out, but I ask you to move out before June 1. If you were saving local animals, there would be no problems, but this way you broadcast your political position, and I'm not satisfied with that," Yulia Gorbacheva said.
So, the shelter "Just Musya" began a new life stage, when it was necessary to urgently look for a room that meets the standards for keeping animals. After all, before moving to the shelter, there were 50 tailed ones, 38 of whom came from Donbass, and the rest were local "derelict". As a result, Julia's family took out a mortgage and bought a house.
"We moved into a private house. There is enough space, we have an area of 130 square meters. Not much time has passed yet, repairs are permanent, there are not enough funds to do what you want inside. But the seals, and these are 50 individuals, 90% of those rescued in Donbass, one Donetsk dog, feel quite well, they are satisfied with everything," Yulia said.
A family of refugees from Donbass, who were also sheltered by Yulia Gorbacheva's family, now lives in the house along with the animals.
Photo from Yulia Gorbacheva's personal archive