They Saved Cats, Not Business: A Pizzeria Team in Odesa Rescued Animals from a Flooded Shelter
© Photo: shotam.info
The heavy rain in Odesa on September 30 turned the city streets into rivers. In the “Rayduzhny” residential district, several nearby buildings were flooded — including the Portico pizzeria and a small animal shelter called “Zorko.” The shelter is run by just two people — Olena and Roman, who has both legs amputated. On their own, they would never have managed to save around fifty cats as the water kept rising. That’s when their neighbors — the Portico team — stepped in to help.
“The team was wading waist-deep in cold water carrying cat carriers”
About 50 cats lived their quiet, cozy lives surrounded by their favorite houses, beds, and toys. Many of them were disabled, recovering from injuries, or needed special medical diets. In one night, they lost everything: the water flooded the shelter, soaking food, medicine, and litter.
The “Zorko” shelter is located next to the Portico pizzeria, which also suffered from the storm: the restaurant lost its water supply, 12 refrigerators need repairs, and both the air-conditioning unit and two generators were submerged. Yet the staff left everything behind and rushed to rescue the cats.
When people entered the shelter, the water was already chest-high, and the cats, trapped in cages, were watching their belongings float around. The Portico team carried every single cat to safety — and even took some home for the night to care for them.
“We were saving lives because life is the most precious thing. And the true heroes are our team members who waded waist-deep in cold water carrying the carriers. We’re proud to be surrounded by such people,”
— wrote Portico’s owner, Kateryna Palanchan.
A wave of kindness
The good deeds didn’t stop there. A local philanthropist from Odesa, Svitlana, offered her apartment where the cats could stay for a week while volunteers restore the shelter.
After learning about the flooding on social media, many Odesa residents came to help: they cleaned debris, washed the premises, and brought medicine and food. The animal rights organization UAnimals promised to send 200 kilograms of cat food and 100 kilograms of dog food to the shelter.
Still, Olena and Roman continue raising funds to provide their animals with everything they need.
Some cats remain stressed after the evacuation, but they are all safe — and that’s what matters most. Thanks to the efforts of caring people, the shelter is being dried, cleaned, and restored. Soon, the cats will be able to return home.
“We will always be grateful to everyone helping us financially and physically. We owe a huge debt to the Portico pizzeria team — they risked their business to save our cats. If it weren’t for them, we wouldn’t have saved them all,”
— said Roman.
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