Episode 334: War Tails follows heroes saving animals on the front lines of the war in Ukraine

War Tails tells the story of a small group of volunteers in Ukraine working tirelessly to prevent a continent-wide rabies outbreak. Displaced filmmaker Olha Byrledianu’s feature-length documentary – which screens on March 3 as part of the 2025 Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival – takes us into the world of a handful of volunteers from Canada and Ukraine as they work to rescue, heal, vaccinate, and sterilise dogs and cats in some of the most dangerous parts of Ukraine. At the heart of War Tails are two volunteers – Dan Fine from West Vancouver, and Krystina Dragomaretska in Ukraine – who are united in their desire to rescue animals and prevent a rabies epidemic. War Tails is stirring, heart-pounding, devastating, and life-affirming. This documentary has it all: missile strikes, cute animals, blow darts, powerlifting champs turned animal rescuers and, most important of all, a call to action. In advance of the film’s Canadian premiere at the Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival – which will be followed by a Q&A featuring Olha, Dan, and Krystina in conversation with Sabrina Rani Furminger – the filmmaker and the West Vancouver dog lover join Sabrina in the YVR Screen Scene studio to talk about the how’s and why’s of making War Tails.Episode sponsor: Fish Flight Entertainment