Pair of Bonded Dogs Rescued from Ukraine War Zone Are Available for Adoption at Southampton Animal Shelter

Jeff Beri is not your average dog rescue advocate.

Since 2016, Beri, the founder of No Dogs Left Behind, has been putting his own life on the line, going into some of the harshest environments in the world to rescue at-risk dogs. He’s plucked dogs out of danger from war zones in the Middle East and Eastern Europe, and from the markets that support the dog meat trade in East Asia, and has shown an uncommon bravery, persistence and passion for saving those dogs from cruel and unforgiving environments.

Two of his most recent rescues recently arrived at the Southampton Town Animal Shelter Foundation and are hoping to get a new lease on life by finding a loving forever home, after experiencing the trauma of war.

On a recent trip to Ukraine, Beri rescued two young German shepherd mixes, Checkers and Candy, in the war-torn town of Kherson. Candy, who was injured, was hiding out alone in a bomb-damaged store, while Checkers was also discovered alone in a heavily damaged village.

Beri has 11 dogs of his own, and they live with him on a 16-acre piece of property in Canton, New York.

He started his organization in 2016 with a dual mission of animal welfare and climate change activism, which he said go hand in hand.

“I wanted to address the sustainable aspect of being more plant-based than animal-based,” he said. “Climate change is a reality, and I feel like no animal should be consumed. I can’t save every animal, so I decided to focus on dogs, since they’re man’s best friend.”

The main focus of his organization’s mission in the first few years was to rescue dogs from China, where there is a thriving market for dog meat. Beri said there is also a belief among some Chinese people who consume dog meat that the more pain the dog is in before it dies, the better the meat tastes — meaning that many dogs are often tortured or subjected to forms of cruelty before they are killed.

“We need global animal welfare laws,” Beri said. “We need to fight for those voiceless souls.”

Beri said he soon earned a reputation for his work in China, and was given a nickname by the Chinese people he became familiar with after several trips there.

“They call me Dog Rambo Jesus,” Beri said, a nickname he earned because there is both a physical likeness and because he subscribes to a similar aesthetic, often wearing the kind of wardrobe and tactical gear required for the harsh environments he enters.

When travel to and from China was restricted during the pandemic, Beri expanded his mission, traveling to war zones in other countries to rescue dogs.

In addition to rescuing dogs in “the most heartless places in the world,” Beri said he also tries to create sterilization, microchip and vaccination programs, and delivers food and other animal welfare products to areas where it is desperately needed.

“I deliver these things myself, under bombardment, with bombs exploding around me,” he said.

Beri said he is happy to partner with organizations like Southampton Town Animal Shelter Foundation to ensure the dogs are adopted and find suitable homes. He said that despite the trauma they had recently suffered, both Checkers and Candy are gentle souls who would make great family pets.

“I would trust these dogs with babies,” Beri said.

Bonnie Klapper is on the board of the Southampton Town Animal Shelter Foundation and also provides pro-bono legal counsel for No Dogs Left Behind and other animal rescue groups. She met Beri and became familiar with his organization five years ago, and said she was enamored with his mission right away.

She took a trip with Beri and another work partner to a shelter in Beijing several years ago and witnessed firsthand the atrocities that dogs experience there, and she also had a front row seat to how Beri operates in those environments.

“He’s fearless,” she said.

Southampton Town Animal Shelter has successfully adopted out dogs that Beri has rescued from China, and Klapper said that both Checkers and Candy have settled in nicely at the shelter’s headquarters in Hampton Bays.

“They’re acclimating,” she said. “They’re adorable, sweet, shy dogs. I think with a little love and training, they’ll make great pets. They’re very close to each other.”

Klapper said the ideal situation would be for them to be adopted together, because of the bond they’ve developed.

Klapper spoke about the capacity of dogs to maintain their trust in humans even after it has been broken, and even after they’ve been traumatized.

“Dogs are more forgiving than humans,” she said.

She also pointed out that Southampton Town Animal Shelter Foundation is an “open admission” shelter, meaning they take any dog that’s in need of being rescued.

“We take everyone, from the overly aggressive dog to the 17-year-old senior,” she said. “Every dog in the town has a home in our shelter.”

She also added that the shelter stipulates in its adoption contract that if the adopter ever has any issues or problems with the dog and can no longer keep it, they must return the dog to the shelter.

Life has already vastly improved for Checkers and Candy, no matter what happens next. Beri said he has already developed a deep love for them, adding that if the shelter struggles to find them a home, he is ready and willing to adopt them himself and add them to his pack.