The stereotype that dog attacks should only be feared in dark alleys or wastelands is shattered by the realities of modern Kherson. It can happen anywhere and in broad daylight.
In December I was walking down Zalaegerseg Street. It was a relatively busy place, very close to a police station. You would think — a safe zone. However, some 15 meters from the police building two large dogs suddenly lunged at me. The strike was instantaneous — they bit my leg. If not for the residents of the nearby apartment building who were sitting on a bench and intervened, I would hardly have fought them off by myself. In that case the wounds would have required not just treatment, but suturing.
When I began to find out why the animals behaved that way, both local residents and police officers gave a similar answer: the dogs are shell-shocked. Due to constant shelling the animals are in a state of chronic stress. They can attack unpredictably, even if people they supposedly are used to are nearby.
The situation in Kherson is difficult: because of the mass exodus of residents many pets have ended up on the streets. Without a home and under constant explosions they become feral, grow aggressive, and their barking increasingly turns into direct attacks.
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This story was told to MOST by Mykyta Mikhalkov, the local coordinator of Caritas-Spes Odesa. He suffered a traumatic encounter with stray animals while performing his job duties. According to him, medical staff at Tropinikh Hospital noted that he was not the first to seek help after an attack by those dogs. The number of calls is increasing.
Mykyta’s story is not an exception. In Kherson region there are records of both animal attacks on people and cases of rabies among domestic and wild animals. MOST collected the available statistics and found out who is currently responsible for prevention and control of the situation.
Rabies and dog attack statistics
According to the Main Department of the State Service for Food Safety and Consumer Protection in Kherson region, 16 cases of rabies in animals were registered in de-occupied communities in 2024.
These included stray dogs and cats, cattle and wild animals — in particular a jackal, two wolves and two rats. As for 2025, there were far fewer such cases in the region: five outbreaks of animal rabies, in which dogs, a cat and foxes became ill and died
In Kherson over the last 11 months only one case of rabies has been recorded. This is directly related to wild animals — foxes, wolves and jackals, which act as carriers and can attack a dog that has wandered to the outskirts of the city.
“War and the mass departure of people have created a new, brutal reality for animals in the city. Many pets, having lost their homes and owners, end up on the streets completely helpless. They usually cannot join already formed packs of street dogs, where strict rules exist. Add constant shelling — animals accumulate colossal stress, which often causes real nervous breakdowns. The consequences of this process are easy to see; you only need to go outside. From my observations, the closer to the Dnipro, the larger the packs become. There now reigns a true law of survival: if you look closely, you can notice that small dogs in these areas are practically gone — they simply cannot withstand the competition and aggression of stronger ones,” Mykyta shares his observations.
The State Service for Food Safety and Consumer Protection assesses the risk of rabies spread in Kherson as elevated. This is related not only to the growing number of stray animals, but also to their possible contacts with wild animals, and in particular to the difficult conditions for conducting monitoring in certain areas due to the security situation.
Who is responsible for vaccination and monitoring potential rabies carriers?
Among the communal enterprises responsible for monitoring and sterilizing animals remain the State Service for Food Safety and Consumer Protection (zone of responsibility — the region) and the municipal enterprise “Garantiya” (the city). The State Service reports that animal vaccination against rabies in the region is carried out in accordance with the approved plan of preventive measures for 2025. This primarily concerns vaccination of domestic and stray animals.
Oral immunization of wild carnivores against rabies is not carried out because the hunting grounds on the territory of Kherson region under Ukrainian control are classified as a “combat zone” for which no end date of hostilities has been determined and there is no confirmation of the absence of risks associated with explosive ordnance on their territory.
Information about which specific works are to be carried out in the city is currently absent. Although the municipal enterprise allocates funds for its activities, according to MOST sources it refuses to operate directly in Kherson due to shelling and constant power outages.
Instead, volunteers partially take care of the animals and carry out sterilizations. This work became most active in 2023, after the Russian destruction of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant.
“Despite difficult conditions, public organizations continue to work on vaccinating, capturing and sterilizing animals, in particular UAnimals, Pegas and Varta of Mercy. They actively submit grant applications for microchipping and treatment, redirecting the funds raised to veterinary clinics.
Volunteers often turn to the clinic of the Anna Kurkurina Charity Foundation in Mykolaiv. This institution has a high reputation and provides transparent reporting, which is critically important for grantmakers. Local residents play a separate role. Currently there are about 200 caretakers in Kherson region. They help animals in various ways: some take them in, providing adequate conditions, and others organize evacuation to shelters in other regions,” Mykyta shares his research on the topic.
Volunteers emphasize: in a combat zone animals need special attention. Shooting is an ineffective and cruel method — it does not stop rabies or epidemics, since the population recovers very quickly. The only effective solution remains systematic assistance: vaccination, sterilization and care.
“Animal stress is understandable, so the best way to help them is sterilization, microchipping and care. If you cannot keep a pet in the city, it is worth handing it over to another caretaker or to a shelter in a safer region. That way the animal will have a chance at a peaceful life away from shelling,” animal rights activists note.
Regarding shooting, figures from neighboring Mykolaiv are cited — on average 400–500 UAH per “head”.
First aid after an attack and vaccination locations
Mykyta’s own surveys showed that in the vast majority of cases after an animal attack people treat the bite or bruise with household soap. However, medical workers insist on the need to visit medical facilities and ask people not to self-treat.
What to do if you have been bitten or scratched by an animal:
- Rinse the wound. Immediately use plenty of water with soap.
- Treat with an antiseptic. Use an iodine solution (Betadine) or another antiseptic and apply a clean dressing.
- See a doctor. Do not delay — only a doctor can prescribe a course of rabies vaccinations.
- Report the animal. Provide information about the animal to the veterinary service (State Service for Food Safety and Consumer Protection) for monitoring.
- Vaccinate pets. This applies to both dogs and cats.
Doctors warn — do not try to treat yourself with household soap alone. Many patients arrive at hospitals with purulent wounds due to incorrect self-care.
“Doctors on site will tell you in detail about the further actions after first aid. The main thing is not to delay. I have already completed my vaccination course,” says Mykyta Mikhalkov.
You can assess the risk of rabies infection by the animal’s behavior: unprovoked attack, fear of water, excessive salivation or paralysis. However, the disease can only be definitively confirmed in a laboratory. If the animal has disappeared and cannot be observed — vaccination is mandatory.
Hospitals have enough vaccines for both rabies and tetanus (they are often administered together).
Where to get help:
- Kherson: Karabelesh Hospital, Luchanskyi Hospital, Tropinikh Hospital and the regional children’s hospital.
- Region: medical facilities of the Bilozerka, Vysokopillia, Velyka Oleksandrivka and Novovorontsovka communities.
Mykyta Mikhalkov