10 Feb 2023
Ten power units are set to be sent to the war-torn country and an online appeal has been set up by the BEVA Trust to help pay for them.
Allister Webb
Job Title
A new appeal has been launched to fund new generators to support the care of injured and displaced horses in Ukraine.
Nearly a year on from the start of the war, and with power cuts routine in many areas because of attacks on infrastructure, the British Equestrians for Ukraine project is planning to send 10 generators to the country.
An online appeal page has been set up to raise funds through the BEVA Trust’s Power to Ukraine appeal for the initiative.
BEVA council member Alison Talbot, who is leading the project, said: “Power cuts forced on entire communities make daily care for displaced and injured horses even more difficult.
“During the power cuts the vets, owners and carers of these horses are not only deprived of light, but also hot water, equipment and sustenance, making emergency and even day-to-day veterinary care almost impossible.
“Most equine vets and horse owners have been in the situation of muddy fields, no light and no power, and can sympathise on this basic level.
“But add to the struggle the dodging of shelling, and the difficulty of communicating when there is no means of charging digital equipment and the situation is even more desperate.”
The generators, which cost £1,500 each, have been sourced in Germany and are due to be taken to a collection point in Poland, from where a Ukrainian vet who previously worked with the BEVA Trust on conferences in the capital, Kyiv, will coordinate delivery.
World Horse Welfare chief executive Roly Owers said: “We can scarcely imagine the challenges that our veterinary colleagues in Ukraine are facing, but we understand all too well the welfare impact facing horses deprived of even the most basic care.
“I implore colleagues in the UK to share this appeal with their networks and clients so that together, we can raise urgent funds to supply generators to where they are needed most.”
Donations can be made via the campaign JustGiving page.
Any excess funds will go into a general fund for equids in Ukraine.
