Damascus veterinarian, nonprofit Dogs of Chernobyl get presidential praise

(PORTLAND TRIBUNE) — In the wake of the worst nuclear disaster in history, many four-legged friends were left behind and forgotten.

In the spring of 1989, the Unit 4 reactor at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine exploded and spread radioactive materials into the environment. In response, the former Soviet Union established a 30-kilometer exclusion zone around the facility and evacuated more than 130,000 people from 189 cities and communities.

During the rush to flee many pets were left behind. Most owners were told they would return in three days, but that never happened. Thus the pets became abandoned, spreading across the exclusion zone.

Three decades later, a team of volunteers have made it their mission to undo the damage done to the descendants of those pets. And those much-appreciated volunteer efforts have led to presidential praise.

Dogs of Chernobyl is a nonprofit program under The Clean Futures Fund umbrella, which raises awareness and provides international support for communities affected by industrial accidents and long-term remedial activities.

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