Canadian volunteer killed by Russian drone while rescuing animals in Donetsk Oblast
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Jesse Adams, a Canadian volunteer who rescued animals from front-line settlements in Ukraine, was killed by a Russian drone strike on Oct. 25, the organization Animal Rescue Kharkiv reported on Oct. 27.
Adams, founder of the Canadian organization RainCoast Dog Rescue Society, was killed while evacuating animals from Kramatorsk in Donetsk Oblast.
A Russian first-person-view (FPV) drone attacked the volunteers' evacuation vehicle just after it had been loaded with rescued animals, Animal Rescue Kharkiv said in its announcement on social media. The drone hit the windshield, severely injuring Adams.
Adams was transferred to a hospital and received emergency surgery, but doctors were unable to save his life.
"When a person overcomes half the world to work side by side with you in one of the most difficult conditions, it means more than can be expressed in words," Animal Rescue Kharkiv said.
"Thanks to Jessie, today hundreds of animals are alive."
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The evacuation mission in Kramatorsk came during Adams' third visit to Ukraine. Two days before his death, he described his rescue efforts in the front-line city in a post on Facebook, writing about the "many risks and dangers" his team of volunteers faced.
"Drones, missiles, and bombs, were among those risks. ... We took the great risks because these people and the animals desperately needed our help," he wrote.
While there is no government-organized evacuation of animals in Ukraine's war-torn regions, volunteers continue to rescue those left behind in some of the country's most embattled areas. Volunteers evacuate not only dogs and cats, but also large farm animals trapped in combat zones.
Adams wrote that his final mission in Kramatorsk was "unique" because it was his first time rescuing cows and pigs. His team went to the area to help a family who were afraid to leave their home, despite the constant dangers, because they didn't want to abandon their animals.
The efforts of Adams and his fellow volunteers ensured not only the safety of the animals, but also enabled the evacuation of civilians from a deadly front-line region.
The animal protection organization SPCA International described Adams as "a hero to animals" whose enthusiasm and compassion made the world a better place.
"Jesse believed that helping the world's most vulnerable animals was not only the right thing to do, but it was the only thing to do in a time of heartbreaking crisis," the organization said.
