Loading video...

Appears in Newsflare picks
06:10

Ukrainian woman who saved disabled dogs from shelter in Irpin: 'They have suffered very much at the hands of man'

Content Partner Cover Image
Content Partner Profile Image
Uploaded by a Newsflare content partner

Buy video

A Ukrainian woman whose image travelled the world when she was photographed saving disabled dogs from Irpin, a city under shelling, spoke on Sunday 13 March about her experience.

Nastya Tikhaya lived in Irpin, outside Kyiv, where her parents had an animal shelter.

She also started taking dogs in who had suffered hypothermia, treating them and looking for new owners, about four years ago. She had 19 dogs living in Irpin, many of whom are disabled.

She also had five cats, guinea pigs, turtles, a hamster abandoned by neighbours, a chameleon and a spider.

Nastya and her husband Arthur Lee began to take the animals out of the city when fighting started.

On the way, four dogs got scared of the explosions, ran away and returned to their old home. Nastya and Artur hope to go and get them when the city becomes quieter.

An iconic photo, which has gone viral online, was taken of Nastya with the dogs as she was leading them to the bridge out of Irpin that was destroyed by the Russian troops.

Ukrainian Territorial Defence people helped the dogs cross the river.

Transcript of the dialogue between the filmer and Nastya Tikhaya, with timecodes:
(START TIMECODE: 00:53)
NASTYA: Look, this is Friendship [dogs name], Territorial Defence people threw it [the dog] to us because it had to get across the [destroyed] bridge. The three-legged one ran - this is Luna, who was knocked down by a car and the paw had to be amputated. Vaughn [dog's name] go to bed.
There is grandfather [referring to a dog] walking, from a shelter near Borodyanka. Grandfather Petrovich - he is a little deaf. He is 15 years old (but) he walked himself almost in the front row [of the animals as they escaped]. True, in the end I was already tired and had to carry it a little. Well, why are you running away? He does not like people very much, he has a difficult fate. He spent 15 years in an orphanage. And had spinal problems, but now is running fast.
REPORTER: But the legs can be seen with problems.
NASTYA: Yes. That's why he's so skinny.
We fled with volunteer dogs and our own. The beagle ran away from us, I would have been able to catch him but to do that I would have had to leave all the other dogs. I had to choose - to save all the old dogs or to run after one dog. Fortunately, he seems to be at home and I hope to pick him up tomorrow. If everything goes well.
(END TIMECODE: 02.22)

(START TIMECODE: 02.28)
REPORTER: In the photo [the famous one of her with the dogs as she fled], which, in my opinion, has already spread to publications around the world, you are standing with dogs that are in wheelchairs. To be honest, a lot of people don't understand this. They leave healthy dogs - you saw how many of them run around near Irpin - and yet you even save the sick ones. Why?
(END TIMECODE: 02.45)

(START TIMECODE: 02.46)
NASTYA: These are my bunnies [lovelies]. Well, shall I leave them? What is the difference - sick or healthy? Their lives are no less valuable. They are all very good. By the way, these invalids have suffered very much at the hands of man. We have a disabled dog, you can see him in the photo, they just broke his spine with a stick. And they were thrown into the woods to die.
(END TIMECODE: 03:09)

REPORTER: How did you cross it [the Irpin river], it was very difficult.

(START TIMECODE: TC 03:14)
NASTYA: Yes, there is are thin wooden planks going across the river. Territorial Defence people helped us a lot. They met us immediately at the beginning of the bridge, after the journalists ran up to us -- 'boys, girls, how can we help?' We had some dogs that were barely walking at all. My husband was carrying a bloody dog, half of its hind legs were missing. He knocked his stumps off while walking. The Territorial Defence people grabbed everyone, carried us over the bridge themselves, put us in a car. A huge thank you to them. My husband and I led only those who walk by themselves.
(TIME CODE END: 03.51)

(TIME CODE START: 03.55)
REPORTER: And who, besides dogs, were taken out of Irpin?
NASTYA: Five cats and our personal animals, a chameleon and a turtle. The neighbours dropped the hamster off with us at 7am. The hamster was saved, the reptiles, the spider.
(TIME CODE END: 04:12)

(TIME CODE START: 04:35)
NASTYA: This dog was hit by a car. This one was hit with a stick.
REPORTER: And both have hind legs...
NASTYA: They won't go. This one was hit by a car. Here, see? The back will not grow back... This is Pandora, she was the one thrown over the bridge. Her wound was bleeding, she was fed up. She also walked with us. You can see in the photo. Unfortunately, she bit off a piece of her tongue while walking. Can you imagine?

Categories

Tags

From the blog

Stories not Stock: 3 Reasons Why You Should Use UGC Instead of Stock Video

Video content is an essential part of a brand’s marketing strategy, and while stock footage has been a reliable go-to in the past, forward-thinking companies are looking to user-generated content for their video needs.

View post
Content Partner Cover Image
Content Partner Profile Image
Uploaded by a Newsflare content partner

Buy video