When Dr. Courtney Katsur first crossed paths with Lenny, a stray dog in Ukraine, the furry friend was initially reticent to engage with her.
Uncertain about how long Lenny had endured life on the war-torn streets of Ukraine, trapped in the midst of conflict, Dr. Katsur had firsthand experience of how the war had left countless dogs starving and in dire need of care. By the time Lenny had found his way to an animal shelter, he was injured and severely malnourished.
“Upon my initial arrival, he was huddled close to a heater,” Dr. Katsur recounted to The Dodo. “He had undergone surgery, didn’t move for two days, and had lost trust in people.”
Dr. Katsur had been closely monitoring the war from her home in Virginia just weeks before her encounter with Lenny. But it was the haunting images and videos of dogs wandering the war-ravaged streets that moved her to take action. Her heart ached for pet owners who had been forced to leave their beloved animals behind, as well as for the dogs and cats left homeless when animal shelters were devastated.
Driven by compassion and a determination to make a difference, Dr. Katsur decided to apply her veterinary expertise on the front lines.
“It just struck me that maybe I could help, you know?” Dr. Katsur explained. “I’ve never worked harder to get somewhere where nobody wanted to go.”
During her two-week mission, she joined forces with the UK-based grassroots organization Breaking The Chains to provide food and medical care to animals in need. Throughout her stay in Ukraine, Dr. Katsur saved numerous animals, and each one left an indelible mark on her heart. “I cried when I had to leave them,” she admitted.
Among all the animals she encountered, it was Lenny’s transformation that left an enduring impression.
Dr. Katsur and her fellow volunteers gradually earned Lenny’s trust and watched in awe as he warmed up to human companionship while receiving care at their shelter compound.
“He would jump into my suitcase,” Dr. Katsur recalled. “He would jump up and lie on my bed to snuggle, even though he had previously avoided human touch.”
The transformation of Lenny from a wary and timid dog to a kind and affectionate companion deeply moved Dr. Katsur.
“He underwent such a shift,” she marveled. “It was incredible.”
In fact, Lenny has since become known as “the compound dog” due to his love for living at the shelter, where he is adored by everyone.
“By the end of it, Lenny pretty much had the whole compound to himself,” Dr. Katsur remembered. “He was the kind of guy who could just wander around the compound freely.”
While Dr. Katsur is currently back in the United States, she is tirelessly raising funds and recruiting volunteers from afar. Her hope is to return to Ukraine in September to continue her mission of saving even more animals.
“Right now, I feel like we’ve accomplished maybe 1% of what needs to be done,” Dr. Katsur remarked.
Thanks to Dr. Katsur and the efforts of Breaking The Chains, the shelter compound now boasts a full-time Ukrainian veterinarian to care for Lenny and other animals in need.