06/14/2026
As bombs fell around Kyiv and families fled for their lives, one Ukrainian family faced an impossible journey through freezing temperatures, grief, and war — but there was one thing they never considered leaving behind - their elderly dog.
For five exhausting hours, Alisa Teptiuk, her husband, children, relatives, and their two dogs, one being their 12-year-old German Shepherd Pulya, walked nearly 20 kilometers toward the Polish border in temperatures of minus seven degrees Celsius.
The roads were gridlocked with vehicles waiting days to cross, so the family made the painful decision to continue on foot. Their children cried from the cold, explosions echoed nearby, and exhaustion consumed them. But Pulya, old and weak, kept trying to walk beside the people she loved.
Eventually, the elderly dog could go no farther. Desperate, Alisa stopped passing cars and asked for help, but people refused and urged them to leave the dogs behind. “They didn’t understand,” she said. “Our dogs are our family too.” So instead, her husband Dmytro lifted Pulya onto his shoulders and carried her the rest of the way through the bitter cold. A photo Alisa took of that moment would later spread across Ukraine, becoming a powerful symbol of loyalty and love during a time of crisis.
Alisa explained that leaving Pulya behind was never an option. “Pulya is family,” she said. The shepherd had been with them since puppyhood, arriving on the first day of Alisa’s maternity leave. Over the years, she had shared every joy, hardship, and heartbreak alongside them. “She understands us and loves us and we love her very much,” Alisa said. “No one could convince us that Pulya could be left behind.”
At last, the family reached Poland together five adults, four children, and both beloved dogs. Exhausted, soaked, and emotionally overwhelmed, they finally found a place to rest in safety.
Their story continues to inspire people around the world, showing the extraordinary bond that can exist between humans and animals even during the most difficult circumstances.
