This former Canadian pro cyclist is helping rescue dogs from Ukraine
There are thousands of pets that need new homes
Photo by:
Chloe Black/Instagram
Former pro cyclist Chloë Black is in Romania helping save the many dogs that have been left alone following the massive exodus of Ukrainians from their country in the wake of the Russian invasion.
Black was a high-performance road and track cyclist who competed on the pro circuit in Canada the U.S. She was also a member of the national team from 1995-2000, competing in France, New Zealand, Columbia, Mexico, Cuba and the U.S.
On April 17, she flew to Romania to join a group of volunteers that is helping support dogs who have been left behind. The group is an all-volunteer group that has come together to build an animal shelter in Arad, Romania. The shelter aims to house 800 animals. Their ultimate goal is to reunite the animals with their owners. If that doesn’t occur, the plan is to find homes in other parts of Europe.
“The day of the invasion, I felt so angry and helpless,” Black said, in an interview with kawarthaNOW. “I’d been following the build up closely as I work with a man from Ukraine. He immediately lost contact with family as they are in Irpin. Alex is a wonderful man and he and his wife lost contact with family for over two weeks, not knowing if they were alive.”
Watching the news and learning about all the pets that been abandoned was her call to action. “I needed to do something,” Black said. “Like everyone, the feelings of anger over such pointless destruction and loss of life just overwhelmed me. I love people, and wanted to help the people, but the animals were a casualty of this war that broke my heart.”
Black plans on staying in Romania for five weeks, and is currently helping building the new shelter.
“The heartbreak I feel over the conditions the animals are in, it motivates all of us to work harder and faster. I’m learning so much about this situation and how complicated it is.” She posted. “But every single person here will not be stopped. We are all on the same page and we are here for the animals.”
