In the spring of 2024, an emergency was declared in the Kostanay region of Kazakhstan, bridges were closed due to overflows of the Tobol River, the local reservoir was almost completely filled, residential buildings were flooded, about two thousand people were evacuated from flood zones. People were running, but not everyone had time to take their pets with them. And someone abandoned them altogether. It was only thanks to the efforts of local animal volunteers that many animals received temporary home in a private shelter.
The journalists of the Kursiv online publication told how the volunteers of the Kostanay center for the rehabilitation of homeless animals "Nadezhda Plus KST" were engaged in searching for animals on the roofs of flooded houses.
"Animals have been taken out of the water in recent days, removed from the roofs of houses, sheds," says Olga Solovyova, a representative of the Nadezhda Plus KST center. - Unfortunately, animal corpses were also found. The owners say that they did not have time to take them off the chain, someone was away, on a business trip and so on."
In the search for animals, the volunteers were greatly helped by a drone piloted by Olga Solovyova. She says she bought the drone after Amankaragai, a major forest fire in September 2022, where she also took part in animal rescue. There, for the first time, I saw how rescuers flew over the affected areas with the help of a drone, but then the drone was "one for the entire area." Now government agencies have two or three drones, but they are mainly aimed at finding people. Volunteers also used a drone to find the animals and emergency responders on a boat helped them get to inaccessible places and evacuate the animals.
"We had more than 220-230 pets — these are dogs and cats, we also housed chickens, rabbits and other animals. This is not counting those whom we simply delivered to the shore, and they were picked up by the owners, who have a place to place them, " said Olga Solovyova, a representative of the center. - But most people were left without houses, they were flooded, some on the second floor, some in attics. We are glad that we are in the city, and the owners have the opportunity to visit the animals. People came to us all the time to chat with their pets, hug them, feed them."
But after the flood, the shelter faced another problem. In addition to the fact that the center was crowded, the "baby boom" also began. The number of puppies exceeded fifty. Some babies were rescued by volunteers on boats, while others were born already in the shelter.
"There were dogs who came and gave birth in the first days after the rescue, they were even due to stress earlier. Now we have more than 50 puppies, plus thanks to the "kind" people who threw six more," Olga said.
But those who received new apartments to replace the destroyed houses did not take their four-legged ones. Someone showed up and honestly said that he was getting housing in a high-rise building and asked to attach a dog.
"The fact is that mostly among the rescued animals are "old men", they are 14-15 years old, so there is no chance to give them into good hands. Therefore, they will stay with us to live out their years. Regarding cats, the situation is generally difficult. A small number were taken away, the rest remain in the center, the cats are reluctantly taken away altogether. We published photos of pets on the page in social networks, and contacted the media, but most likely, the owners do not specifically get in touch," Olga Solovyova continues the story.
Therefore, the center is asking everyone who is not indifferent to come and choose a pet. Do not buy it, but take it away for free and give someone from the tailed a new house!
Photos of the Nadezhda Plus KST Center