Photos courtesy of Yuliya Strizhkina, except where noted
Yuliya Strizhkina: My name is Yuliya Strizhkina. I am a World Dog Press Association (WDPA) member, international economist, owner of the National Record of Ukraine and the title of “Pride of Ukraine” in the nomination Brand of the Year 2020 for the version of the Media Holding “Milenium,” a graphic designer, ex-TV presenter, and press secretary of the People’s Deputy of Ukraine and Ukrspecexport. I’m also author of the project Dogs-Heroes of Ukraine, a cynologist-breeder of the Ukrainian Kennel Union (FCI), owner of Japanese Spitz, and the founder of the holiday, World Japanese Spitz Day.
Yuliya Strizhkina: I could not believe that this was happening. It could not fit in my head that in the 21st century, in a period of active development of new technologies, high achievements, and preparations for a flight to Mars, a full-scale war could begin.
Yuliya Strizhkina: My first-ever personal dog, Japanese Spitz Simba Senior (Simba Tsar Zverei) and I were sleeping at home in Kyiv. At 05:12 in the morning, my dad called me and said, “You are being bombed.”
The first thing we did was go outside. I had no choice. I had to take Simba for a walk. Sirens were howling around, explosions were heard, and people were panicking. I remember walking down the street, looking at all this, and tears streaming from my eyes. Of course, it was scary. We didn’t understand what was happening, what would happen next, and, most importantly, what to do next.
Thank God, good people helped us go to my father and his white Miniature German Spitz Oscar (Oscar Snow-White Butterfly) in Cherkasy (200 km from Kyiv) so that the whole family could be together.
Yuliya Strizhkina: Since the first weeks of the war, people who I know in other countries (the majority of them were breeders and owners of Japanese Spitz from Japan) began to collect money and transfer it to me with a request to first help our fellow breeders as well as other dog owners and injured animals.
The first weeks and even a month were extremely difficult, because all the stores and warehouses were closed. No one went to work; the roads were blocked and broken. I began to find out and contact those who remained in Ukraine and needed help, and those who gradually began to sell goods. The Lord helped us to buy and send food and products for treating dogs, especially for puppies that had just been born. There were a lot of requests, but unfortunately, my budget could not cover them all, so I took a different path: I focused on medical drugs.
Cherkassy is a smaller city than Kyiv. Thanks to this, I could go around more pharmacies and look for what I needed: bandages, painkillers, treatment against ticks, worms, probiotics, disinfectants, diapers, etc. I even managed to find anesthesia, which was especially rare at that time. And this was sent to the regions closest to the front, where the injured animals were taken.
I published reports on all receipts and expenses, and I am grateful to all of the people for their trust.
After our army liberated cities from Russian soldiers, I formed and sent parcels there, too. Simba Senior always accompanied me during all of these purchases, checking everything that I chose to buy, and we went to send it all together.
Later, together with the Founder/CEO of WDPA, Karl Donvil, and with the support of Mak Dodan, current president of WDPA and the Monge company, we began an operation of purchasing food for Ukrainian dogs and cats using funds donated by: caring citizens of Japan, Australia, Europe, USA, and of course, WDPA members. It was a very difficult and long story (about four months), but the result was worth it!
Thanks to WDPA, Monge, Kristina Kurganskaya, the heads of the EFI Group company Igor & Vadim Liski, as well as Associazione culturale Ucraina-Friuli, Italy and Marta Prokuda, we could deliver more than 10 tons of food from Italy to Ukraine for FREE! We were able to support military dog handlers, kennels in a difficult situation, shelters, and private owners in Chernobayivka, Mykolayiv, Zaporizhzhya, Kharkiv, Energodar, and other locations.
Around the second month of the war, I met Jana Alianor Taubrová from the Czech Republic. Jana simply wrote to me on Facebook and said that caring residents of the Czech Republic had collected aid for Ukrainian pets and they were ready to deliver it to Ukraine. She asked if I could meet the shipment and distribute it to those in need. That was how our friendship began. We didn’t know each other at all. For two and a half years, Jana and very special people from the Czech Republic regularly collected aid and brought it to Ukraine. There were cases when the guys bought very expensive and rare drugs for animals with chronic diseases. They really helped to save lives and I thank the Lord for all these people!
Yuliya Strizhkina: In July 2022, I went to Portugal as a journalist for two weeks, but not for evacuation. After the trip, I returned to Ukraine and have been here ever since. Even before the war, I wanted to live and work in Ukraine but travel to other countries, see the architecture, study the culture, get acquainted with the history, mentality of the people, etc. I have 23 countries behind me, and the experience of visiting them confirmed in my head the understanding that I am happy living in Ukraine.
People abroad are happy to see us as guests and tourists, to help in a difficult moment. But, for example, my dogs have their own habits, lifestyle features, and character, which are not easy to combine with others for a long-time living. I considered the option of evacuation to another country, and documents had already been approved by the embassy. I just had to say the final “yes,” but I decided to refuse and stay in Ukraine, and I believe this decision was right.
Yuliya Strizhkina: Of course, I do! Many things changed dramatically. Our perception of the world has changed. I lost my job. It was extremely difficult with finances because life in the country stopped. Much of what was familiar before was lost, but we were alive and life went on. New areas of activity began to appear, new companies opened, and new doors and opportunities began to come. The main thing is to do, develop, and not stop. It worked. As it is written in The Bible: Seek, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you (CSB: Christian Standard Bible).
Yuliya Strizhkina: The incredible atrocities that the Russian military committed in Ukraine against both people and animals. The horror of death that I had to see; abandoned and dead animals in apartments and houses, and bombed-out enclosures, kennels, shelters, and zoos where the animals simply had no chance to escape. I consider the latter extremely cruel.
And the death of Simba Senior. The first week of the war, I could not talk normally and hardly slept. He felt all of this, and during the first 24 hours, while we were trying to get out of Kyiv to Cherkassy, he did not go to the toilet even once. All of this seriously undermined his health and provoked the development of cancer, from which he died in my arms on April 28, 2024. God forbid anyone to go through everything that we went through.
Yuliya Strizhkina: Yes, of course. I know many people who went to the army. Unfortunately, there are those whom we will never see again. In particular, since the first days of the war, a very important person for me, who is an international judge of UKU-FCI, military dog handler, rehabilitation specialist, trainer with over 27 years of experience, and owner of the Heruvim FCI kennel, Sergey Bondaryuk, went to defend Ukraine. He fought in the hottest spots till now, while continuing to help both the animals and the people he encounters at the front.
Yuliya Strizhkina: Despite the fact that the Lord blessed me with Simba Junior (Japanese Spitz, Simba Blessed By God Ranastar Grand), I am not yet mentally ready for dog shows after I lost my first Simba, who became the first Super Grand Champion of his breed in the history of Ukraine and Moldova.
Yuliya Strizhkina: Yes, there are dog shows in Ukraine. Of course, they have changed, at least from the security standpoint and taking into account that the war in Ukraine continues. There are almost no foreign judges, but this situation gives a great possibility to come to know our Ukrainian specialists better.
Yuliya Strizhkina: Yes, of course. After all, many Ukrainian cynologists live abroad and go to dog shows in other countries. We maintain contact.
Yuliya Strizhkina: Since the second half of 2024, I stopped volunteering. So, whenever possible, I started making donations to other volunteers. But in 2023, I also founded a project called Dogs-Heroes of Ukraine.
As part of this project, we reward dogs that performed a feat during the Russian-Ukrainian war. These are dogs of private individuals and service dogs from various structures, for example, the National Guard of Ukraine, State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, Security Service of Ukraine, etc. In 2023 and 2024, we awarded 24 dogs. Each dog receives the Dog-Hero of Ukraine medal and a numbered certificate. We give the owner a certificate of gratitude. Thanks to the support of our partners, we give gifts: delicious food, useful things for dogs’ everyday life, luxury cosmetics for pets, free service at the Genesis veterinary clinic (including complex operations), and a year of free service at partners` pet salons, etc. Gifts change from year to year, depending on the agreement with our partners.
The main thing is the recognition of the dog’s deed and the work of the owner/cynologist-dog handler. The goal of the project is to convey to people the importance of the work of a dog handler, and the help and work of a dog, and to cultivate a polite and respectful attitude towards them in society. We want not only to watch films about heroes or hear how they are honored in other countries, but also tell people about the real heroes who live among us, in our country.
In 2024, we also created:
Yuliya Strizhkina: Of course, it is! Stop burying Ukraine! We fought and will fight to the end! And let everyone who says that he is tired of the war rest, but we will continue to live and do everything possible, and in some ways, impossible! Moreover, Ukrainians continue to create. People are looking for and implementing new areas of activities and ideas, learning grooming, opening pet salons (providing free services to animals from shelters as volunteers, too); and creating cool Ukrainian cosmetics for pets, which already compete with European ones. Now we are preparing to celebrate a holiday which I founded in 2019: World Japanese Spitz Day! So, life goes on and this is our life!
Yuliya Strizhkina: Everything that happens, happens for a reason. The war has changed Ukraine a lot and made it more granular and wiser. Do not be upset if difficulties come into your life—they will make you stronger. Thank your enemies for being in your life—they strengthen you. Without them, you would relax and stop developing. And despite the obstacles, go towards your dream. If you live correctly, the Lord will definitely bless you!
