Ukrainian refugees fleeing their homes with pets will be able to bring them into Northern Ireland, it has been decided.
Details of how the scheme will work are still being thrashed out but a spokesperson for the Department of Agriculture says they will be announced by Minister Edwin Poots in "coming days".
The rules will involve pets being given thorough health checks and those who have travelled without relevant veterinary evidence of rabies jabs will face a period of quarantine.
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It is understood DAERA are now in talks with local private kennels and councils who may be able to provide quarantine accommodation which would leave the pets separated and isolated to ensure any potential disease they may harbour is not spread.
Millions of people have already fled Ukraine for safer havens across Europe and many more are expected to follow as Russian aggression on civilian targets intensifies.
And global media following the exodus of humanity have honed in on many families who have chosen to leave their homes with little more than a coat, a bag and their dog or cat.
Now those pets are displaced along with their owners who must work to find places to live which allow animals to stay too.
Northern Ireland is included in the UK's refugee response which allows residents to sign up as hosts for refugees but nowhere on the online application form is there a space to state hosts will accept refugees with pets.
However two young students from Harvard set up UkraineTakeShelter.com is an independent platform connecting Ukrainian refugees with potential hosts and housing - and they do allow for hosts to state they accept animals too.
Their website in 12 languages, includes Northern Ireland and already there are pet-friendly hosts listed in Co Down, Co Derry and Belfast.
The site developed and launched by Harvard students, Avi Schiffman and Marco Burstein, aims to encourage members of the public with spare space to post a listing and asks for potential hosts' nearest town or city and not their precise address.
The UK government was urged to take action by thousands of animal rights campaigners including Dominic Dyer, wildlife protection and animal welfare activist.
It remains to be seen as to how DAERA will handle refugees with pets seeking help in Northern Ireland but it is likely to follow the example of DEFRA in Great Britain.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs say that those arriving into England with pets will need to first contact the Animal and Plant Health Agency, who will confirm approval and organise necessary a quarantine stay if animals are required to complete a rabies treatment process.
It is understood they will cover the costs of quarantine and a spokesperson for DEFRA said: "We recognise that many Ukrainian individuals will not have been able to complete the full health preparations required for their pets
"The maximum stay in quarantine for a pet which has received no rabies treatment is four months. Pets will be considered case by case, and those which have already received some treatment would spend less time in quarantine."
And DAERA says they are working closely with DEFRA on the matter.
A spokesperson said: “DAERA is working at pace, engaging with both Defra and DAFM, to ensure a sensitive and pragmatic solution will be implemented with regards to pet animals arriving from Ukraine.
"Advice is being prepared for Minister and subject to his sign off officials anticipate being able to announce details of the process in the coming days.
"DAERA has confirmed that those arriving with pets directly into NI will need to first contact DAERA who will confirm approval and organise the quarantine arrangements.
"Pets will be considered on a case by case, and those which have already received partial health preparations would spend less time in quarantine.”
