Who is Andrea Cisternino?
She is a Ukrainian, and she lives in Kyiv. Andrea Cisternino, who works for a shelter, has the task of helping people and animals. Why is it a difficult job? What else do you need when you start work? If you really want to save a puppy, can you give him up? The answer to this question is not an easy one, but it is important that people hear it. We have received a new resident at our shelter, the International Rescue Committee of Kyiv. In the wake of Ukraine’s war on the east, five people are recovering after being hit by a stray shell. Among them is Andrea Cisternino, a self-taught veterinarian who moved from Brazil to clean up the streets of Kyiv, only to learn he would be in charge of over 400 stray dogs moved from war-torn towns. While others might have been demoralized at the prospect of buying food for such a large number of animals, Cisternino went above and beyond to get them fed. In his spare time, he also boards, vaccinates, and spays the dogs for free, telling them that it’s their future that is at stake. Kyiv is the hardest hit city in the war-torn country, with a third of its residents still displaced or living in shelters. Many of its residents are finding it hard to cope with the constant fear of running into an unexploded shell; it is difficult enough for young children. Oftentimes, these children come in contact with unexploded shells through their play, as many people live near the conflict zone. To help bring these children a little closer to peace, Andrea Cisternino took her passion and set out to teach them how to find peace in the safest way possible. Andrea Cisternino was once a filmmaker living in Italy. But now he’s the man who won’t leave Kyiv with his dogs and other animals – in fact, he’s going to rebuild his zoo in Ukraine. The Italian-born director lives on a private farm outside Kyiv – but due to the war and an attack near his area, he is unable to leave.
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