A plea to support the pets of Ukraine has had an enormous response in Perthshire.
Missing Pets Perth and Kinross, normally busy finding lost animals, thought about the cats and dogs fleeing with their humans or regretfully abandoned as a result of Russian hostilities.
As people swiftly offered their support, tearful page founder Katie McCandless-Thomas commented it had been “one of the most touching and moving days I’ve ever experienced.”
The result is close to £15,000 has so far been raised in an appeal that began by asking if Facebook followers could raise £100.
Katie updated people on Thursday but even after this, the total continued to climb.
“I’m honestly trying to find the words to express how I’m feeling right now but I think it’s a great sense of love and pride of all of us coming together to help those in need.
“In less than 48 hours, you have all helped raise over £10,000 to help the animals of Ukraine and their families.
“From us just asking would people mind if we could donate £100 from our Missing Pet Fund for food for the animals of Ukraine, things have grown and grown in ways I could never imagine.
“We are still in the early stages of deciding the best ways to help.”
The team assisting Katie’s mercy gesture went to local retailers to buy pet food to go on the lorry to Poland.
Laura McCallum, owner of LCM Vans in Perth lent her vehicles to collect and store the items at her Arran Road base. She made an arrangement for an articulated lorry to take the pet supplies and other items to Poland on Saturday with two more Perth-to-Poland trips planned in the coming fortnight.
Katie was greatly helped by suppliers McCash and the Perth branch of Bookers offering generous discounts and adding additional items for free.
Other animal lovers donated - Perthshire Canine Club, Airntully Dog Park, Taydogs Dog Training Angus.
Dog-mad restaurant boss Frank Burger-seed and his team from Gringo’s and Dutch and Pablo’s assisted Katie with collecting the first lot of food from Bookers Cash and Carry in Perth.
Then it turned into a JustGiving appeal that soon burst the £10,000 target.
Katie added: “We have had a lot of people wishing to make further donations to help. Along with another local volunteer from Perth Joanne, we have decided what would be best to help is raise additional funds... we will then arrange to purchase food and get it to the animals.”
The shortened link to the JustGiving.com fund Helping the Animals of Ukraine is: https://bit.ly/3hvu7xt
