Hero vet is crossing into Ukraine to rescue animals trapped in the conflict

A hero vet is crossing into Ukraine to rescue animals trapped in the conflict - including a dog with a bullet lodged in her spine and a pygmy goat with diseased legs.

Jakub Kotowicz, 32, made a trip into the warzone last week as part of a convoy from Przemyśl on the Polish border.

In the past fortnight, he has rescued around 200 cats and 60 dogs from Lviv, in three convoys.

Rescued pets recovering from the trauma included a Sphinx cat dressed in a knitted jumper who loves to cuddle, and a Chihuahua puppy rescued with its mum.

Jakub plans to keep a pygmy goat kid, named Sasha, which was rescued from Lviv aged two months.

Sasha shares a soft bed with the Chihuahuas and will be kept as a pet by the vets at the ADA Foundation, an animal rescue charity Jakub founded aged 17 years old.

It also has a private veterinary clinic, but the non-profit organisation is dependent on donations.

So far £60,000 has been raised by Nick Tadd, 55, who is in Poland indefinitely after leaving Guildford, Surrey, to help with animal rescue missions.

The charity has ambitious plans to buy another ambulance and convert a pizza shop into a place for rescued animals to be kept as well as packing a warehouse with supplies.

Some of the animals have been so badly injured they were put to sleep but an intensive rehabilitation process means many will be re-homed across Europe - and a couple of cats have already been reunited with their Ukrainian owners.

Jakub set off from Poland at noon on Tuesday and returned at 3 am and says he has not slept for five days.

Brits who want to help with the animal welfare situation are encouraged to rehome a Polish pet, in order to make space for Ukrainian animals at rescue centres.