B.C. dog rescuer killed in a drone attack while saving animals in Ukraine

Jesse Adams, founder of RainCoast Dog Rescue Society on Vancouver Island, died Sunday after a drone struck the vehicle he was using to evacuate animals from Kramatorsk, Animal Rescue Kharkiv said. He underwent emergency surgery but could not be saved.

In an Oct 23 post, Adams described helping a family evacuate cows, dogs, cats and a pig from an area hit daily by drones, bombs and missiles.

Animals evacuated

1,000 at most, estimated

Adams and his team are estimated to have evacuated as many as 1,000 animals from Ukraine.

"There was never an animal who Jesse would refuse to save, no matter the circumstances," SPCA International said in a statement.

— SPCA International