Nussi and Nofi have been at the Ugatlak animal shelter in the Hungarian border for a few days. They jump and bark as Eniko Der, who runs the facility approaches them for petting.
The two dogs were found on the Ukrainian side of the border a few days ago. Since the start of the conflict with Russia, Eniko has seen an increase in the number of animals roaming the region by themselves. In the last month alone she has rescued 50 dogs.
"It's not their fault that there's a war going on or what the situation is like. They're hungry, they're not safe, so we're helping any way we can," she tells CGTN.
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Animal welfare organisations and volunteers like Eniko are working around the clock to get Ukrainian animals to safety. As refugees flee the war, many can't take their pets with them. For some, the option is letting them free and hope they will find someone to help them.
Eniko says it is not uncommon to see dogs arriving by train, alone, like Suzi. This dog was found inside a passenger train evacuating refugees from Ukraine. She was pregnant with 8 puppies, which now rest inside a warm crate, cuddled up against their mom.
Locating these dog's owners is almost impossible, Eniko says. Ukrainian dogs rarely have chips and posts on social media go mostly unanswered. Even those who come forward, often can no longer keep them.
“A man called us because we had his dog but he told me he was on the run with his family and they just let the dog go,”Eniko says.
"He thought it was best to let it go, so the dog could survive," and Eniko agrees: “After all, I still think it's more humane than many people who leave their animals locked up in their houses or chained up.”
More than 400 dogs are now under Eniko's care. Much more than the shelters can handle - some are staying in her house.
Hanna pets her dog in front of her damaged house in the village of Krasylivka outside Kyiv. Many animals though, are abandoned or released as people flee the Russian invasion. Reuters/Marko Djurica
Before the crisis, border shelters like these were already overloaded and under-financed. Finding these dogs homes to make space for others, is urgent, but not easy.
Sandy Shireen, founder of the animal charity Red Shed says the adoption process in the European Union is complex. Most animals found in Ukraine are chip-less and unvaccinated, which is not allowed in Europe.
"There are strict rules in different countries, so we need to make sure we focus on getting everything legit and done so the animals are ready to be adopted into whatever country they end up going to," she tells CGTN.
Sandy warns against scam agencies promising swift - and costly - adoption processes. She says animals who are sent to borders without proper documentation can end being "destroyed" and the hopeful caregiver's time and money wasted.
Her charity is setting up an adoption program across Europe. The response, she says, is overwhelming….
"(We get) hundreds and hundreds of e-mails, everybody wants to adopt," he says.
"People are just incredible, they are opening up their hearts, their homes to these animals. They say: give me the dog that has 3 legs, with one eye, or sick, and about to die, give that dog to me, I'll mind them," she adds.
Cover image: Dogs in a shelter in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv. Aleksey Filippov / AFP