ARA support Ukraine

ARA is going to Ukraine Read +

During the past 3 years ARA has rescued and rehomed nearly one thousand animals. This would not have been possible without the help of our live - in volunteers ( workaways ) which over the period has amounted to approx 900 people. Many of them live in Germany and Poland and they all stay in contact with ARA. Now, without hesitation, we have decided to send an ARA team for one month, for our first international mission to help those who have helped us.  

Our mission will be devided in three stages:

1. Our team goes to Poland with two vans filled with donations (basic necessities for babies and children in refugees centers and veterinary essentials needed and lacking in Poland). We have received a list of goods in need from our parters in Poland and Ukraine who are expecting us. Some of those include medication for cold and pneumonia, baby formula, blankets, nappies and toys for babies; microchips, FIV, FELV and parvovirus tests, deworming tablets and medication for animals. 
2. Once we get there we will join up with our many workaway friends and national and international NGOs providing assistance in transport of displaced families, bringing them to their temporary homes/shelters; assist to relocate animals from the shelters close to the border that are brought from Ukraine. Once we are on the scene we will be able to assess the urgent needs and purchase essentials with the raised donations. 
3. The final step of our plan will be to return home with Ukrainian families that wish to be reunited with their relatives living in Portugal. Furthermore, we plan to provide transport to the animals that can´t be brought on planes or buses. 

To assist our endeavour we need funds for vehicle hire, merchandise, medicines, veterinary help, accommodation and other essential goods. If we are able to gather sufficient funds we will hire more vehicles in Poland to provide more transport during our time there, multiplying our capacity to help.

Alguns membros da nossa equipa num evento

About the author

ARA is a legally constituted Portuguese Charity Association with the prime objective of caring for and subsequently rehoming stray, abandoned and distressed dogs and cats. The charity was founded in 2017 by a resident English businessman who funded the total capital cost of the project and has also financed running costs since its inception. The governing body of the Association comprises twelve individuals who are all volunteers. Especially important to ARA is not just the betterment of animal welfare locally but eventually throughout Portugal.

Budget and due dates

Although we will have fixed expenses such as fuel and tolls for the trip, accomodation and food for a month, for the team, we cannot estimate the total cost of this endevour, because what we set up to do will be bigger or smaller depending on the funds we can obtain. 

The minimum budged we estimate to be around 14.000€, but there will be daily additional costs of transport of families and animals in need, and purchasing of NGO´s needed essentials. 

This budget does not include renting more vans for more transports. 

The scale of our mission will depend on the donations received. 

The exact departure date may vary by a few days, however we plan to leave at the end of this week (between March 11th and 13th).

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