In the midst of the destruction and chaos, one foreign student refused to leave Ukraine.

Citizens and foreign civilians quickly made their way to the borders as Russia marched through the country and towards the capital. In the suddenness of the operation, many people were forced to make the most difficult choice about their pets.

Others risked the travel and brought their dogs with them. Others left them behind with the promise of coming back for them.

And finally, there are those who refused to leave their pets even if it meant putting their lives in danger.

One such person is Rishab Kaushik, a foreigner studying in Ukraine.

He was in his third year in taking up software engineering at the Kharkiv National University of Radio Electronics in east Ukraine when the unthinkable happened.

Rockets zipped over the country and tanks rolled in through the borders. Overnight, his life as a student flipped to a refugee escaping a beleaguered nation.

But instead of fleeing, Kaushik chose to stay behind.

The main reason for the decision was Maliboo, a rescued dog he adopted in Ukraine. He shared with the Times of India that he tried to procure the necessary documents so Maliboo can leave with him. But the red tape and the requirements were just too much that he ended up stranded in the country.

The news outlet shared that when Kaushik encountered difficulties, he decided to just stay behind even if it meant risking his life.

His family has actually secured a means for him to escape danger.

“When I left Kharkiv on February 23, I took Maliboo with me,” he said to Times of India, There was no question of abandoning him,”

According to the news outlet, Kaushik’s family has already arranged his documents and tickets so he can return to India.

Kaushik refused the offer and instead said that he will try to leave the country again as soon as he gets all the necessary documents that Maliboo needed.

His efforts were met with frustration.

In an interview clip shared by Nation Next, Kaushik shared how he was thrown into the cycles of bureaucracy even if he was willing to do all the things they required of him. He was repeatedly asked for copies of his passport and his flight tickets even if the airports were closed.

Meanwhile, some nations sharing borders with Ukraine have relaxed their animal admission systems so that fleeing refugees can take their dogs with them. Some of these nations include Romania, Poland, and the Czech Republic.

Kaushik is also not the only dog owner who decided to stay behind.

Dog shelters, mostly run by volunteers, have tried to gather street dogs and abandoned dogs so that they could give them a safe place to stay.

And as resources are becoming more difficult to procure, these shelters are on the brink of food and supply shortages. They are also at risk of being bombed or shot at.

If you wish to help the people of Ukraine, especially those who are caring for pets and animals, check out the different ways how to donate.

Watch what this foreign student did after learning that he can’t take his dog out of Ukraine.

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Source: YouTube – Nation Next, Times of India, Twitter – @ANI, Facebook – Citizen 4 Forces