A Ukrainian mother and daughter whose adopted dog made headlines after he was rescued from a house fire are now in a desperate search for a new home.
Victoriia Unhurianu’s adopted dog, Milo, was saved from their burning house and revived by Cork city firefighters in Ballincollig last weekend.
A photo of two firefighters reviving the dog using a special animal oxygen mask went viral online.
But behind that feelgood story, Victoriia, and Alisa, 13, must now find somewhere new to live.
“We are delighted that Milo was saved. He is part of our family. The fire fighters were so professional, they did a great job and everybody has been talking about the dog,” Victoriia said.
“But for us, this has been a disaster. We had this house, we considered it our home.
“Now we are living with a neighbour, but she can’t keep us for a long time.
“So we are now looking for accommodation, somewhere to rent.
“My daughter goes to a local secondary school, she loves it here, and I am working.
“I know it’s not easy to find somewhere these days but we would like to stay in this area if we can.”
They fled the Donbas region in Eastern Ukraine after the Russian invasion, and arrived in Ireland in June 2022, where they secured accommodation with a host in his house in Ballincollig.
They have built a new life here, with Alisa attending a local secondary school and Victoriia working in a call centre, and volunteering with several local groups, including Cork Penny Dinners.
A few months after their arrival, their host got Milo as a puppy and Victoriia and Alisa spent most of their time raising the animal, who responds to Ukrainian commands.
They were all asleep early last Sunday morning when the alarm sounded just after 2am.
Victoriia grabbed her phone and documents, and they all got out of the house safely.
Three units of the fire brigade responded and firefighters wearing breathing apparatus entered the heavily smoke-logged house and contained the fire, which had started in a dining room to the rear of the property.
But when the firefighters were told that Milo was still inside, experienced firefighter Shane O’Brien and new recruit Cillian Horan went back in, found him lying unconscious, and brought him outside where their colleague Kieran Galvin used one of the special animal oxygen mask they have been carrying in their tenders since 2021 to revive him.
Milo came round quickly, but was clearly in shock. He was given the all clear by a vet on Monday but is on meds to clear his chest.
“Milo’s truly a lucky dog,” Victoriia said.
Victoria Tymoshchuk, a facilitator with the Ukrainian community in Cork, said Victoriia and her daughter lost their home in Ukraine and have now lost their home in Ireland.
“Victoriia is the hero,” she said.
The animal recovery oxygen masks were donated to the brigade in 2021 by the Cork Animal Care Society.
The masks, which come in three sizes, are designed to fit snugly and comfortably over the snout of a large dog or over the face of a small kitten.
As well as rescuing dogs, Cork’s city firefighters have saved cats, fish, birds, and rabbits from house fires, and have used the special masks to revive many family pets.
Second officer with Cork City Fire Brigade, Victor Shine, said their crews know how important family pets are to people, and he said firefighters will do everything possible to help a pet in the initial response to a fire.
