A Ukrainian woman puts her life in danger to defend almost 700 animals, among them a lion!

 While escaping Ukraine, many people abandoned their pets, but some heroes stayed behind to help the animals in need. Instead of fleeing, 77-year-old Asya Serpinska marched toward the Russian battle. She was prepared to risk her safety because she was required at her animal refuge in Hostomel, a town above Kiev.

At the time of the invasion, Serpinska had roughly 600 dogs and 100 cats at the shelter. She eventually adopted a number of abandoned zoo animals as well. As if taking care of the animals weren't challenging enough, she was repeatedly under danger from Russian troops. But she remained firm at all times for the animals' benefit.

Taking Care of Ukraine's Pets

Serpinska didn't succumb to her anxiety as Russian forces soon surrounded Hostomel from all sides. As soon as Serpinska learned that the Russians were attempting to take over the town, she sprinted to the animal shelter and broke open the cages to free the dogs and cats. She remained at the shelter during the shelling with a few other staff members.

“The first thought that crossed my mind was that I had to run to the shelter,” Serpinska said. “I was consciously going to war. My people were here, my dogs were here.”

The volunteers maintained the routines of the animals despite the threat around the sanctuary. They kept feeding them at the scheduled intervals and cleaning the area. Serpinska's friends pleaded with her to leave Ukraine, but she wouldn't leave the animals behind.

Zoo Needs Help Too

Serpinska was guarding her refuge when she saw a nearby private zoo catch fire. The zoo's owners had left the establishment, leaving the animals on their own. Serpinska and her group battled the smoke to save as many creatures as they could, such as turtles and peacocks. The only survivor that Serpinska's group was unable to take with them was the lion.

“Only the lion got left behind,” Serpinska said. “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.”

Later, the Soviet forces planted a mine close to the lion's cage, and Serpinska had to bargain with them to stop them from murdering the defenseless animal. The mine was set off by the military, yet the lion was still alive. Volunteers from the shelter continued to feed the cat until Ukrainian forces took back the region.

Facing Death Several Times

Hostomel is once more under Ukrainian control, but when Russian troops were stationed there, the personnel of the shelter encountered many dangerous situations. Tragically, Russian forces killed Gina, Serpinska's dog. A soldier shot Gina because he was upset that she was barking at him over the fence. Serpinska was devastated, but she overcame her sorrow to assist the other creatures.

After then, Russian soldiers frequented the bunker on multiple occasions, and Serpinska is fortunate to still be alive today. At one point, the Russians inside the bunker told the occupants they were placing a land mine on the door and trapped everyone inside a room. They warned them that the door would explode and kill them if anyone tried to open it.

They learned there probably hadn't been a mine on the door after all when someone saved them. To frighten them, the soldier had just said that. Serpinska must have been terrified every time she faced the Soviet army. But because the animals needed her, she never fled.

Recovering and Rebuilding

The town is peaceful now that Russia is no longer in charge of Hostomel. Buildings have been set on fire and destroyed, and the town is largely deserted. Serpinska is attempting to renovate the shelter, which is in disrepair and has no electricity. Now that the town is easier to reach than previously, she has already started working hard to collect funds and find homes for the animals.

The animals in the shelter appear content despite everything. To ensure that everyone remains secure while experiencing the horrors of the invasion, Serpinska and her staff have gone above and beyond. They are the kind of unselfish people the world needs more of.