It was truly awesome the stars aligned like that. Aaron Jackson has a knack for being in the right location at the correct time.

As quickly as the owner of the charity organization Planting Peace saw that relief job was needed at the Poland-Ukraine border, he immediately hopped on a flight. “I was generally reading newspaper article and seeing news footage two weeks ago when it was all beginning,” Jackson said.

” I saw a story about these refugees living in a train station and just how it was freezing, and about two hrs after reading that story, I bought an airplane ticket and flew over that day.”

Jackson really did not anticipate focusing on helping refugees with pets, however when he arrived, he realized the dire need to keep these families with each other.

” 2 million people have actually left Ukraine and most of those people are crossing right into Poland, so housing has come to be an extremely complex point to find,” Jackson said. “It’s much more complex when you have a cat or canine, because there’s limited spaces and not every location allows animals.”

Jackson and his group have actually been working to recognize refugees with animals that require long-term housing and, a few days earlier, he found himself in the right place yet again.

Jackson had visited a local animal sanctuary to provide aid and was talking to the director outside when a family came close to. Walking before them on a chain was a gorgeous cocker spaniel named Bella.

After speaking with the family, the shelter director looked to Jackson and said, “They’re actually refugees and want to forfeit over their dog to us because they’re homeless and don’t have anywhere to go, and they do not want their dog to be out in the cold.”

Within 20 minutes, Jackson was able to set up the family with pet-friendly housing. The joy on everyone’s faces was evident– including Bella, that couldn’t quit wagging her tail.

“It was truly awesome the stars aligned like that,” Jackson said.