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| We know this is not a Peke but it's all good. |
Israel Sabag was facing a rebellion from the busload of 30 refugees who arrived unexpectedly at the Joint Distribution Committee’s tent here on Ukraine’s border with Romania Friday morning.
Sabag, the Joint’s director for Romania, had been working for weeks with local hotels and hostels to prepare for the flood of people that had been pouring over the border since Russia’s invasion.
He was ready for anything–except for a sad-eyed Lab, an elderly Pekinese, a 5-year-old gray cat and their respective owners.
None of the places Sabag had set up to take in refugees would allow animals on their premises. And despite their urgent circumstances, the pet owners refused to part with their pets. In fact, even the non-pet people were refusing the no-pet accommodations.
“They were just thrown together on the bus – none of these families knew each other,,” Sabag said. After hours together traveling through war zones, he explained, “they stood in solidarity with the pet owners.”
He kind of admired the resilience. And, as the refugees milled about the tent, Sabag had an idea.
There was a children’s summer camp in a town not too far away that was owned by the Jewish Agency. After a few phone calls, the Ukrainians head off to sleep there, dogs and cat in tow.
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