Canadian animal rescuer Jesse Adams dies after drone strike in Donetsk
Adams was killed on October 25 while evacuating animals from a frontline settlement in eastern Ukraine.
By Sakura Novak ·
Jesse Adams, a Canadian volunteer who coordinated animal evacuations in eastern Ukraine, died on October 25 following a Russian drone attack in Donetsk Oblast. The Animal Rescue Kharkiv community confirmed his death, stating that he was in the process of moving animals to safety when the incident occurred.
Adams had loaded a group of animals into his vehicle when a first-person view drone struck the car. The impact hit the windscreen, causing severe injuries. Paramedics transported him to a local hospital immediately after the strike. Medical staff performed emergency surgery and resuscitation procedures, but they were unable to save him.
Before traveling to Ukraine, Adams founded the RainCoast Dog Rescue Society. The organization focused on rescuing and rehoming animals. While in Ukraine, he assisted residents in frontline settlements and organized the evacuation of pets from conflict zones.
In a post shared days before his death, Adams reported that volunteers rescued 80 dogs and cats in Kramatorsk in a single day. He noted that many of these animals had lost their owners or were strays struggling to survive. Some were being moved to safer regions to reunite with families, while others required new homes.
Adams described the animals as innocent victims of the invasion. "These poor animals do not understand war and are simply innocent victims of another country invading Ukraine," he wrote. He added that civilians and animals are injured or killed by drones, bombs, and missile attacks every day.
He expressed that the work was emotionally difficult but a privilege. "It breaks my heart that we even have to do this type of work, but it is my privilege and honour to be a small part of helping these animals reach a better life for themselves and their families, or to be adopted into new families," Adams wrote.
Ukrainian volunteers paid tribute to his dedication. They stated that traveling halfway across the world to work in challenging conditions meant more than words could express. The group credited Adams with keeping hundreds of animals alive. "We will always remember you as a kind, compassionate and truly extraordinary person," the Animal Rescue Kharkiv community said. Adams is the second animal rescue volunteer killed in the region this year, following the death of Olha Kuzmenko in July when a guided aerial bomb struck Druzhkivka.
