Heartwarming Video Shows Reunion of Dog and Owner Separated By Ukrainian-Russian War
It’s been over a month-and-a-half since Russia invaded Ukraine, and in that short period of time, lives have been changed forever. Families have been torn apart, with some not knowing if they’ll ever see their loved ones again. And that goes for their pets as well. Some owners have been forced to leave their four-legged friends behind as they flee for safety. But not every war story ends in tragedy.
The Kyiv suburb of Bucha was recently liberated from Russians by the Kastus Kalinouski Battalion, a volunteer Belarusian unit fighting in Ukraine names after the father of Belarusian statehood. They found a Siberian huskie named Nessie wandering the streets, and assumed it was a stray. Still, they sought out the dog’s owner, posting about Nessie on social media.
When the Russians left Bucha, atrocities were discovered. There was a chance that Nessie’s owner was one of the hundreds of people brutalized and murdered by the invaders. Fortunately, Nessie’s owner was still alive, and the battalion was able to locate him.
Nessie and her owner were reunited in a supermarket parking lot. When Nessie saw her owner, she broke out in a run, and they embraced. Nessie’s owner thanked the soldiers for returning his furry family member to him as Nessie jumped for joy around him.
The video was posted on Instagram and immediately went viral. It’s a heartbreaking reminder of the horrors of war, and a heartwarming reminder that dog remain loyal to their owners no matter what. Knowing of the horrors that both Nessie and her owner must have experienced makes the reunion all the more powerful.
The video can be viewed here, but get your tissues out. It’s a tear jerker for sure.
And as for the Kastus Kalinouski Battalion? They’re protecting the lives of all Ukrainians, both human and not. “As long as some treat people like animals, we are fighting for the lives of not only humans but every animal,” the Kastus Kalinouski Battalion said in a statement.
It is moments like this that give us hope that the atrocities will end, families will be reunited, and the lives of Ukrainians will resume. It is also a stark reminder that love between person and pet transcends all things – even war.