TWO veteran military mates are travelling to the Ukraine to provide much-needed food, medication, and winter supplies to help save animals impacted by the horrific war.

Australian War Animal Memorial Organisation (AWAMO) founder and president Nigel Allsopp, who is a retired police dog handler, and Toowoomba man Peter Kotzur will meet fellow volunteers in Poland to help people who are fleeing the conflict zone with their animals.

Mr Allsopp has organised a shipping container filled with more than $300,000 worth of donated animal supplies to be delivered and distributed by local non-profit animal welfare organisations delivering aid across the Ukraine.

Mr Allsopp, who has also worked as a zookeeper and elephant hander, felt compelled to help the suffering animals after watching news reports of animals starving to death in zoos and farms.

“One of the areas we want to focus on is a large sanctuary for bears. These bears have been taken off people who had kept them captive, put rings in through their noses and forced them to dance. Sadly, the sanctuary was bombed by Russians. The surviving bears are very friendly but are loose in the wild and some of them are starving to death,” Mr Allsopp said.

“Another story which moved me was seeing a woman carry her injured German Shepherd 20kms across the border to get help. We hope to be there at the Polish border and give them new leads, bowls, bedding, food, and medical aid,” he said.

“I started collecting donations to fill a shipping container, knocking on doors until I found Petstock which wonderfully donated $200,000 worth of food. Another company donated the shipping container and paid $20,000 for shipping. A Brisbane company donated $100,000 of leads and coats, an RSL is paying for my airfare – their generosity will help many.”

Mr Allsopp has always loved animals. Growing up, he was inspired by his father who was a wildlife cameraman for the BBC in England where he filmed documentaries with David Attenborough.

Toowoomba man Peter Kotzur is the vice-president and local organiser of the AWAMO.

Mr Kotzur said their shipping container has now arrived in Poland 16/09 after it left the port of Melbourne in mid-July.

Mr Allsopp and Mr Kotzur have liaised with the Ukraine and Polish embassies to coordinate their trip. The pair has been friends for more than 20 years since they served in the Australian Defence Force together.

The AWAMO is also raising money to purchase fodder for zoos and animal sanctuaries once Mr Allsopp and Mr Kotzur arrive in Poland. Their flight left Brisbane on September 20.

Member for Toowoomba South David Janetzki MP congratulated the AWAMO for their mammoth effort gathering more than $300,000 worth of donations.

“It is heartening to see this small group of animal-lovers amass an entire shipping container full of donations for animals impacted by the invasion of Russia into the Ukraine,” Mr Janetzki said.

“The AWAMO is asking the community to donate money to help purchase and deliver these vital supplies to help save animals currently suffering horrific deaths as a result of the war,” he said.

Donations can be made by visiting https://gofund.me/9c1b7689 or direct deposit:

Australian War Animal Memorial Organisation
BSB: 034 139
Account: 221639
Reference: Ukraine Animals Fund
Charity ID: IA41424

The AWAMO would like to give special thanks to Petstock, Petspiration Group, Orbit Logistics, Cameron Logistics, EZY Dog, Vanilla Sugar, Doggone Gorgeous (DGG), Cronulla RSL and Diggers Services Club Logan for their generous donations.