Central to the Cuddle Clones mission is charity. Since the very first day we opened up shop, offering handcrafted custom stuffed animals of your pet, we have donated a portion of every single purchase to animal shelters, pet rescues, and humane societies around the country. When one of the amazing members of our community buys a Cuddle Clone, they are personally guaranteeing 20 meals for hungry shelter pets in need. To date, the Cuddle Clones community has directly led to the donation of over 2.7 million meals (and counting).

At our core, we are a community of dedicated, loving pet owners. Pets are members of our family, irreplaceable parts of the fabric of our lives, and some of our greatest sources of joy. This universally understood joy is what led us to do something a little different for this month’s shelter donations. 

For our April 2022 shelter donations, Cuddle Clones is proud to announce that we have dedicated this month to the International Fund for Animal Welfare and their Ukrainian pet support fund. As the humanitarian crisis in the region continues, it is now more important than ever that we provide the support these beautiful creatures so desperately need as their homes are torn apart. 

At the current factor of money to meals – the total for this month’s support is equivalent to 50,585 meals! This is yet another month-over-month increase from March’s donations, and it truly could not come at a better time for the people and pets of Ukraine.

We also made a $1,000.00 donation to our recurring charity partner, The Arrow Fund!

Displaced Pets in the Ukraine

On Thursday, February 24th, 2022, Russia launched their invasion of Ukraine, and this senseless act of malicious aggression has led to one of the world’s largest and most severe refugee crises in recent history. More than 11 million people have been displaced since the beginning of this conflict. Their beloved pets, as well as the millions of animals who call this region home, have not been spared this tragedy and heartache. 

“As a veterinarian who trained in Kyiv, I do believe that Ukrainians have an unusually strong bond with their pets and animals in general,” says Malathi Raghavan, author of the LA Time Op-Ed: It’s not only human lives being upturned by the Russian invasion. “These are the people who realize that they are not returning home anytime soon. I’ve seen Ukrainians make desperate pleas on social media to residents in places like Mariupol, imploring those remaining behind to check on pets entrusted to family and friends, who themselves had to flee or have not been heard from in days.”

According to Seattle NBC affiliate King5 News, some estimate over 1 million animals in need of food, water, shelter, and medical care in the Ukraine, and these estimates could be even higher.

What is the IFAW & How Are They Helping?

The International Fund for Animal Welfare is a global non-profit organization dedicated to taking bold action in service of the rescue, rehabilitation, and reintroduction of animals everywhere. This incredible organization’s impact has been felt all around the world, and their mission of “every animal matters” is evident in the 275,000 animals the IFAW has personally rescued and delivered from dangerous situations.