Actor Peter Egan films with Nowzad charity in Ukraine
5 October 2026
Not Peter’s first trip to a high-risk country
Peter Egan, the English actor probably best known for his iconic television roles in sitcoms and period dramas like Ever Decreasing Circles and Downton Abbey, has been a patron of Nowzad for many years. Having previously visited Nowzad’s operations in Afghanistan, the protective clothing and strict security precautions were all familiar to him.
For this trip, Peter teamed up with his friend, the film director and producer, Andrew Telling, to capture the stories of the Ukrainian volunteers who risk their lives to rescue abandoned animals and support them in shelters.
Nowzad founder, Pen Farthing, accompanied Peter and Andrew on the trip, together with a back-up crew and animal medics.
Delivering a vet ambulance – almost
The initial focus of the film was to be the delivery of a vet ambulance, converted in the UK and being driven to Ukraine across Europe. Pen explains this will be a vital support vehicle for the animal centres across Ukraine.
“Many of the shelters here were hastily set up in response to people fleeing the war and having to leave animals behind, or to cope with animals heartbreakingly left bewildered, alone and sometimes injured when civilians have been killed in hostile attacks.
“These places don’t have their own surgical rooms, so the idea of the ambulance is to take the surgical room to them. On this trip, we also had a vet joining us from Australia, ready to help neuter and spay dogs and cats, administer vaccinations, and treat sick or injured animals recently evacuated from the frontlines. These include horses at a newly created horse sanctuary.”
It doesn’t always go to plan
Sadly, on this trip, things didn’t quite do to plan, with the ambulance breaking down in Germany on the way. It soon became clear that serious repairs were needed and that the ambulance would not make it to Ukraine for some time.
Undeterred, Peter Egan, Andrew Telling, Pen and the crew continued in back-up vehicles, arriving late at their base in Lviv.
Whilst this was hugely frustrating for everyone, at least the insurance schedule was not a problem. Nowzad has a flexible annual high-risk insurance policy organised by Bellwood Prestbury, which only charges when people are in-country, meaning delays are not charged and no stressful last-minute administration is required.
Aerial bombing on the first night
With the scale and range of the war expanding on all fronts, it wasn’t long before the whole team experienced what Ukrainians are constantly living with.
Pen explains: “Not long after we arrived in Lviv , everybody experienced overnight bombing and drone attacks. I think it was the worst overnight bombing that Ukraine had experienced for some time. That was really scary for all of us.”
What’s it like to be chased by a drone?
Pen then left the filming team to take a truck to the frontline to evacuate animals and things got a while lot more frightening.
“We have drone detectors, which are a small device with loads of little aerials and a screen. If it picks up a drone, you can see exactly what the drone operator can see on his screen. I was driving a red truck, so when I suddenly saw my red truck on the screen, I knew it was time to get the hell out of there. The top speed of a drone is about 70 miles an hour; my truck does 110 miles an hour. It was a frightening experience trying to outrun it, but we made it ok.”
Capturing the struggle for people and animals
Pen tells us that since the war began, many brave Ukrainian people stayed to look after abandoned animals, but funding is always a struggle.
“The shelters are overwhelmed with animals people can no longer look after. People who might normally have helped don't want to take on an animal when it's a war zone. The difficulty of day-to-day life adds to the pressure.
“With the cost-of-living crisis in the UK and Europe, fundraising is hard, but we have to keep on going. That’s why Peter and Andrew’s film is so important for us. They not only gave up their time; they also funded the whole production, which is incredible.
“The hope is that when audiences see the remarkable dedication of the volunteers in Ukraine and meet the innocent dogs, cats and horses who have been so horribly affected by a war no-one wanted, it will continue to raise awareness and encourage donations.”
If you would like to support Nowzad’s important work in Ukraine or Afghanistan, please visit: https://www.nowzad.com/support-us
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