A Ukrainian family fleeing the country has melted hearts for carrying their elderly dog across the border.
In a first-person account for The Guardian, Alisa recounted the details of her journey, in which her husband carried her elderly German Shepherd for 10 miles until they were safely in Poland.
The Python programmer works for a German company that offered to help get her out of Ukraine when Russian troops invaded last month and war broke out.
In her account, Alisa explains that her husband couldn't cross the border with her because of his age and the "mobilization order" which meant he might get called up for active service.
However, there were two family members that Alisa was determined wouldn't get left behind - the family's dogs.
After leaving Kyiv in a Peugeot 307 and driving for 16 hours, Alisa described how they arrived at a small village near the border. From there, the family couldn't stay in the car and decided to walk the remaining 10 miles to Poland setting off at 4 AM in 19°F weather.
Alisa recalled how, at this point, people urged them to leave their pets behind - especially since their elderly dog was struggling to keep up on the journey.
"My dog is 12 and a half and she struggled to walk and fell down every kilometer or so and couldn’t stand up again. I stopped cars and asked for help but everyone refused; they advised us to leave the dogs," she said.
"But our dogs are part of our family. My dog has experienced all the happy and sad moments with us. Mom's dog is all she has left of her former life."
Alisa went on to explain how her husband "at times, carried our dog on his shoulders."
The piece included a snap of Alisa's husband carrying the dog on the grueling journey to the border. While she was able to cross into Poland with the pets and other family members, Alisa's husband sadly had to turn back and remain in Ukraine.
Towards the end of her account, she reflected on what she and her family were planning to do next.
"My plan is just, I don't know. I want my husband here. For now, what I will do with my kids, is decide where I want to stay: here in Poland, or go to Germany, like all of my colleagues," Alisa said.
If you would like to know how you can support the Ukrainian people at this time, click HERE to find a list of organizations and groups dedicated to helping those affected by this crisis.
