For those who don’t know, this is Andrea Cisternino. He lives in Ukraine. He is staying with his 400 rescue dogs and has stated he would rather die with them than leave them and is continuing to help those dogs that have been left behind.
This brave man surely deserves an award.
Don’t forget to like. Thank you.
Andrea Cisternino lives in Ukraine. And when war came, when bombs started falling and evacuation orders were issued, when millions of people fled for safety, Andrea made a choice that most people wouldn’t understand: he stayed.
Not because he had nowhere to go. Not because he didn’t have options. But because he has 400 rescue dogs. And leaving them behind was not something he could live with.
These aren’t just pets. These are dogs he rescued—from streets, from shelters, from abandonment. Dogs who had nothing until Andrea gave them food, shelter, safety, love. And now, when danger arrived, he refused to abandon them the way others had.
He’s stated clearly: he would rather die with them than leave them behind.
And he’s not just staying put. He’s continuing to rescue. Because war doesn’t just displace people—it displaces animals. Families fleeing for their lives can’t always take their pets. Dogs are left behind, confused and terrified, in homes that are no longer safe, in neighborhoods that have become war zones.
And Andrea is finding them. Feeding them. Bringing them to his sanctuary. Adding to the 400 he’s already caring for. Because if he doesn’t, who will?
This story is extraordinary because it shows what love looks like when it’s tested. It’s easy to love animals when it’s convenient. When times are good. When caring for them doesn’t cost you anything beyond time and money.
But Andrea’s love is being tested by war. By danger. By the very real possibility that staying could cost him his life. And he’s choosing to stay anyway. Because to him, those 400 dogs aren’t just animals. They’re family. They’re responsibilities. They’re lives that depend on him.
People will argue that human life is more valuable than animal life. That Andrea should evacuate, that his survival matters more than the dogs. And maybe, by some calculations, they’re right.
But Andrea doesn’t see it that way. He sees 400 beings who trusted him. Who came to him when they had nowhere else to go. Who would die without him. And he can’t walk away from that. Even if it means risking everything.
This brave man surely deserves an award. Not because what he’s doing is smart or safe. But because it’s selfless. Because it’s love in its purest form—the kind that says, “I will not abandon you, no matter what.”
Andrea Cisternino is a hero. Not just to those 400 dogs. But to everyone who believes that loyalty, compassion, and love are worth fighting for. Even when—especially when—staying is the hardest choice you can make.
Don’t forget to like. Thank you. Because Andrea’s story deserves to be shared. Because the dogs he’s saving deserve to be remembered. And because in a world full of people running from danger, Andrea is running toward it—because that’s where the animals who need him are.