UK relaxes rules for Ukrainians fleeing with pets

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For many, their pets are part of the family.

This means that even in an emergency situation, they can't even consider leaving them behind. This has caused various difficulties in countries near Ukraine as people fleeing the Russian invasion are attempting to bring their cats and dogs across borders.

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Ukrainians are fleeing the Russian invasion and are bringing their pets with them. (iStock)

Typically, pets entering the United Kingdom would need to meet certain requirements, such as being vaccinated and microchipped. The recent influx of Ukrainians, however, has made it much more difficult to ensure that these animals meet the proper requirements.

This would have put many refugees in a difficult position where they would have to choose between not crossing the border or abandoning their pets, whom many see as part of the family.

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A woman holds a dog while crossing the Irpin River on an improvised path under a bridge as people flee the town of Irpin, Ukraine, Saturday, March 5, 2022. ( (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda))

In response to the situation, however, the United Kingdom has decided to relax its rules to make it easier for Ukrainians to bring cats, dogs and other pets across its borders. According to a report by the Independent, U.K. officials spoke with vets and quarantine facilities to make the proper adjustments to their regulations.

Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia have also altered their rules to allow animals into their countries.

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Countries near Ukraine have relaxed rules for bringing pets across borders due to the increase of refugees fleeing Russia's invasion. (iStock)

Fox News previously reported that refugees have been spotted fleeing with cats, dogs, hamsters, rabbits and even birds. At least 2.5 million have fled the country, and that number is rising every day.

As stated, many people consider pets a part of their family. Ukrainian refugees have also spoken about how their pets provided emotional support during the difficult and scary journey away from home. Others have also said that traveling with their dogs made them feel safer.