- Written by Jack Hadaway-Weller and Grace Parnell
- BBC news
Hales began traveling to Ukraine at the beginning of the war, shortly after his wife died in January 2022.
An animal lover is preparing to travel to Ukraine to deliver pet food and supplies.
Julian Hales has traveled several times since the Russian invasion in 2022 and plans to return to the port city of Kherson later this month.
As well as delivering supplies, the 52-year-old from Sheffield will also be helping abandoned street animals.
He said that after losing his wife in January 2022 at the age of 47, he felt the desire to “do something.”
Kherson was captured just days after Russia invaded Ukraine two years ago, before it was forced to withdraw its troops in November 2022.
Reflecting on his travels so far, Hales said: “Just seeing animals half blown away, injured, sick, out on the streets in the freezing cold, you can't imagine it until you see it. Thing.
“You can see pictures and videos and see people talking about it, but until you get there and experience it, touch it, smell it, hear it.”
During a visit later this month, he said he would work with Ukrainian helpers to collect stray dogs and take them to a traveling veterinarian to be spayed and neutered.
The animals will also be dewormed, vaccinated, tagged and recorded before being released back onto the streets.
Volunteers from Andy's Man Club helped attach a camper van unit to the back of Julian Hales' truck loaded with supplies.
With the help of volunteers from the charity Andy's Man Club, Hales repurposed a camper van unit into the back of his truck to insulate it and sleep during the often sub-zero temperatures this time of year. He said he did.
“I'm not looking for five-star luxury,” he said. “I just want a place that's warm and dry and where I can cook and sleep at night.”
He said his wife would have thought he was “crazy” to go, but he knew she would support him.
“Every time I went there, I just really hit rock bottom and started crying, and I think that's when she looked down at me and told me to get up and move on. That’s what you do.”
