Left behind: a volunteer army rescues the animals of Ukraine | The Excerpt

It has now been over two years since Russia invaded Ukraine. As the people of Ukraine fled their homes, many were forced to leave their belongings behind and, for some, that included beloved pets. At animal shelters, volunteers who’d dedicated their lives to saving animals had to choose between abandoning those animals in what became active war zones or staying behind to face bombs and Russian soldiers. Luckily for the animals, as one rescuer put it, fear was often overcome by compassion. Popular Ukranian YouTuber and wartime storyteller Anton Ptushkin's new documentary "Saving the Animals of Ukraine," premieres Wednesday, May 15th, on PBS Nature. He joins The Excerpt to discuss humanity’s responsibility to animals during wartime.