25-year-old quits job and founds initiative: Yannick’s special mission in Ukraine
Yannick Böge (25) actually only wanted to bring donations to the Ukraine over the weekend. Then the young German quits his job and his apartment to save animals left behind in the war zone. In the hell of Bucha he finds a four-legged friend for life.
At the beginning of the Russian war of aggression, Yannick Böge sat for hours in front of the live news stream. The 25-year-old has never visited Ukraine himself and has no personal connection to the country.
Still, the scenario moves him so much that he can’t stop watching the news. “I couldn’t imagine how terrible it must be to be exposed to this constant threat of terror, so I made the decision to take action and help the people and especially the animals in this country.”
Animals have no chance of surviving on their own
The plan of the trained model builder is to stay on his first tour only for the weekend and to deliver the donations collected. “The first day in Ukraine was definitely one of the most moving days of my life. I was very nervous as I had never left the EU before and didn’t know what to expect there.”
Right from the start, he focused on rescuing and caring for animals, as they often have no chance of surviving on their own. Dogs are sometimes left behind to guard the house and yard. Other animals are released just before the border for fear of being separated or, in the worst case, tied up.
Just 30 minutes after crossing the border in Medyka, Yannick finds the first abandoned dog. Chained to the side of the road with no water or food, the collar already digging through his fur.
The dedicated helper takes care of the dog and loads it into the transporter. Then it goes on to another border crossing. At the time, Yannick was not aware that it would not be just a rescued dog.
“I felt like my life had meaning for the first time”
When the 25-year-old arrives, a mother with two small children is saying goodbye to her husband, who cannot flee with him because he has been ordered to the front. A farewell scene that the Schleswig-Holsteiner will remember for a long time. Yannick is particularly concerned about the fate of his three-year-old daughter Olivia.
“I shed tears, it was incredibly sad with the uncertainty that her life begins with. Nobody knows if and when she will see her father again, if she can go back to her home country and what will become of her family.”
For Yannick, this encounter is a drastic experience. “After the first day, I felt how urgently help was needed and that I could make a difference. I felt like my life had meaning for the first time.”
Yannick describes what happened after the weekend to his employers, the owners of a small model making company, and asks them for a month’s leave. His bosses agree. But one month eventually turns into a life project.
The delivery of donations became an open-ended aid mission
The 25-year-old quits his job and his apartment and says goodbye to friends and family. “I ended my old life at that point.” On March 2, 2022, Yannick founded the initiative “The best friend flees with me!” Code Mission is renamed.
Supporters finance his aid tours to Ukraine. In the early days, Yannick helped a total of ten to fifteen people to cross the border, when humanitarian transports still had priority. “It’s a great relief, especially for women with small children, if they don’t have to stand in the cold for so long,” he says.
While the people who have fled are looking for protection in neighboring countries, it is becoming more and more difficult for Yannick to bring found animals across the border to Poland. Ukrainian pets may initially enter the country in 2022 without documents, identification and vaccination, but they must be officially registered by their owners. Once in the destination country, a rabies vaccination usually follows and a subsequent 21-day isolation. Stray and shelter animals are of this However, exceptions are excluded .
For Yannick, however, no reason to end his relief efforts. He doesn’t give up and is determined to open an animal shelter just before the Polish border. The response to his commitment is enormous, more and more helpers support him.
People’s gratitude brings tears to the eyes of helpers
However, Yannick cannot save and take all four-legged friends with him. That’s why he wants to at least make life easier for the street animals that are left behind. To do this, he tirelessly builds and distributes huts, which he erects between the ruins of war to offer shelter. Feed dispensers from misused compost boxes or sewage pipes serve as a source of food for the exhausted and emaciated animals.
In addition to his daily commitment to the animal shelter, Yannick is also committed to the country and its people. It also transports humanitarian goods such as food, hygiene items or medicines, but also medical equipment such as ventilators, defibrillators or ultrasound devices to places that are particularly affected by the war.
The exhausted people are happy about even the smallest gestures. “Whether it’s a piece of bread or a hug, it helps them. They show their gratitude, which sometimes brings tears to your eyes.”
At the time, Yannick had no idea that he would soon have a special companion on his tours.
“The cars were covered in blood, hair and mutilated body parts”
One of his supply trips took him to the small Kiev suburb of Bucha. When Yannick arrives after the Russian massacre of civilians, he finds dozens of destroyed tanks, military and civilian vehicles. “It was horrible. Shell casings were everywhere, the cars were covered in blood, hair and mutilated body parts. Suddenly this beautiful but neglected husky came out of nowhere.” Then something unbelievable happens: the male dog trusts him immediately and starts playing with Yannick.
Perhaps he also senses that the 25-year-old is his only chance of survival, because after a short while he jumps into his car. Since then, the two have been inseparable. Yannick names the male Koda, which means friend.
The four-legged friend is always with him on his tours and makes it easier for Yannick to get in touch with people. “Koda breaks the ice and gives them a first impression of me as a stranger. Because those who love animals and treat them well will usually not be a bad person.”
The trips through the reconquered areas are among the most emotional moments for the native of Schleswig-Holstein. Again and again he sees people who have not left their homes in the midst of bombed-out residential areas, schools and shops. “The relief and joy when they receive food, pet feed and other goods is heartwarming and negates any sadness or fear.”
However, Yannick doesn’t have time to rest and recover after his exhausting trips. He usually comes back to the shelter late at night. Sleeping in is a foreign word for him.
Everyday life in the shelter is tough
Yannick lives without any luxury, sleeps on a mattress in a small wooden shed right next to his almost 65 found animals. He routinely gets up at 8 a.m. every morning to let the dogs outside.
Then the backbreaking work begins. He spends almost 3.5 hours cleaning the cages and feeding bowls, after which he washes all the towels and blankets. He rarely has a moment to catch his breath. In between, he builds or repairs enclosures for the dogs and cats.
There are also trips to the veterinary practice several times a week to treat sick or injured four-legged friends. “After a while, you get used to everyday problems like broken cars, sick animals or the lack of electricity.”
Between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. the dogs are returned to their cages. Then the feeding troughs are set up and the almost 50 dogs and 15 cats are fed.
But other problems such as worries about an expiring visa, the constant changes in the regulations of the veterinary office at the border and worries about donations characterize Yannick’s everyday life. The dedicated animal lover can only dream of holidays or a punctual end of the day.
As soon as some are gone, new animals follow
When the animals come to rest in the evening, the model maker devotes two to three hours to the shelter’s social media channel to keep supporters up to date and respond to messages. Koda is always at his side, sharing the mattress with him.
The basic organization of the animal shelter and the mediation of the four-legged friends eats up a lot of time. Here Yannick gets support from volunteers like Evelien, Robin and Moritz.
They take care of the delivery of food and donations in kind as well as the transport and placement of the rescued four-legged friends. “We have already found loving families for some of the dogs and cats all over Europe.” The animals mainly go to Germany, but also to countries such as the USA or Great Britain, if the laws and transport options allow it.
Despite the tireless efforts, the flow of animals in need does not let up. As soon as some are gone, new animals follow. And that’s not all. Since there is no money for castration and sterilization, the females are often pregnant.
Here’s how you can help Yannick
Helping hands like Yannick’s are essential for both the animals and the people of Ukraine. If you want to get your own impression of the dedicated model builder and his faithful husky Koda, you should check out his channel “Koda’s Mission”. on Instagram subscribe to. There Yannick gives insights into his aid missions every day.
Anyone who would like to financially support the 25-year-old at his animal shelter (officially registered foundation “Kodas Mission”) or his relief efforts can do so do it through his site, every euro counts . Food or donations in kind are also accepted and distributed by Yannick and his helpers.
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