SIBUR’s Moscow-based volunteers enjoyed the company of their furry friends

7 february 2023

Last weekend, volunteers from the Corporate Center, NIPIGAZ and Petrochemical Transportation Company paid one of their now traditional visits to the Nekrasovka shelter for stray animals. A total of 22 employees of the holding company took part in the trip, along with their friends and relatives.

Thanks to the fact that so many animal enthusiasts chose to go on this visit, more than 150 dogs were able to get a bit of their attention. The dogs were walked, combed, allowed to socialize (and, yes, hugging the dogs and scratching them behind their ears IS an integral part of the socialization process), and, of course, they were treated to some really delicious tidbits.

-      I really love dogs, but I cannot keep one at home, and that’s why being part of this visit not only gave me a boost of positive energy and put me in a good mood, but it also made me feel that I am contributing to making the world a little better place. It was also a great way to get to know and socialize with my colleagues outside the office, Gulnara Akbasheva, a project engineer at NIPIGAZ, noted.

-      I did not expect that there would be so many dogs in the shelter. Unfortunately, they are not spoilt by too much of human attention, so they don’t need a lot to feel happy: a little bit of patting on the back and at least 15 to 20 minutes of walking. And if on top of that you offer them a piece of sausage as a treat, you will really make their day. Despite the large number of visiting volunteers, there still aren't enough hands for all the dogs. The time we spent at the shelter really flew by. I would like to say a special "thank you" to the organizers. Had it not been for them, I would have never gone there, nor would many of the other visitors, Kira Antonova, a lead project engineer at NIPIGAZ, commented.

-      This was my first visit to the shelter and I felt both happy and surprised. But I was pleasantly surprised, because I had painted for myself a much more dismal picture with much worse conditions for the animals to be kept in. In the 4 hours that we spent there I managed to walk more than 20 dogs, comb them, and feed them. We even went for a run in the woods with the dogs, a truly child's delight! The dogs jumped, rolled in the snow and dragged me through snow banks. I would love to continue being a part of such outings! Alexandra Zhuravleva, a lead expert at SIBUR, shared.

Volunteers have done a tremendous job: they insulated the walls and the floors of 3 of the dog pens, installed a catcher to help lift the covers on all pens, made cover handles for 12 pens, changed the hinges at 8 pens, and enclosed a part of the fence with PVC banners.

The response from the employees wishing to give presents to their furry friends was equally impressive: they sent 3 carts full of pet food, medicines, hygiene products, and toys to the shelter.