THE WASHINGTON POST – For the past week, fans of Stepan, a 13-year-old black-and-brown-striped rescue cat based in Kharkiv, Ukraine, have been in anguish. They’ve refreshed the cat’s Instagram and TikTok feeds and begged for updates in the comments since the accounts went quiet on March 3, as Russia continued its invasion of Ukraine.

On Wednesday, nearly two weeks later, Stepan’s more than one million followers breathed a collective sigh of relief. He was safe and in France.

Stepan is the latest example of how influencers in conflict regions – even nonhuman ones – are able to tap into their audiences to escape danger, and how a community that creators usually may rely on to source brand deals or sell merchandise can transform into a
lifeline overnight.

“When you’ve got that many followers you can use them as a network to provide aid, find shelter or even help find escape routes in a war zone,” Mohamad Taufiq Morshidi, a former fundraiser for Muslim Aid Malaysia who has worked extensively with refugees, said. “Having an online network will help you survive difficult times.”

Stepan is one of the most famous pets in the world. He has amassed a huge following on Instagram and TikTok for his Grumpy Cat-esque nonchalant expressions, and he’s often posed next to a large glass of juice. Stepan’s solo, at-home parties have entertained millions, including many celebrity followers. Stars like Britney Spears, Diane Kruger and Hailey Bieber have shared Stepan’s photos and videos. In November, he appeared in an ad for Valentino.

But then Kharkiv, a city in northeastern Ukraine, came under attack, and Russia bombed the city’s Freedom Square and opera house. Stepan’s owner, known to followers as Anna, lost electricity, and they took shelter in a basement. Stepan’s account went dark and followers feared the worst.

Many left desperate, frantic comments and even launched a hunt for the cat in his native city to no avail.

“I started checking the account every single day to make sure they were okay,” Kalina Newman, 24, a graduate student in Washington, said. “It’s a testament to how powerful these Internet figures can be.”

By the time Stepan was tucked away on a train to the border of Poland with Anna and her two sons earlier this week, he had an online army ready to assist. Anna and her sons stood in line for nine hours before crossing into Poland on foot. That’s when the World Influencers and Bloggers Association stepped in.

The World Influencers and Bloggers Association was founded in 2019 as a global organisation aimed at uniting influencers around the world.

The group hosts an annual awards ceremony crowning the top content creators across continents, and its members include high-profile social media stars in Brazil, France, Ukraine, Russia, Italy, India, the United Kingdom, China and more.

Last year, the association named Stepan one of the world’s top petfluencers. So, when Maria Grazhina Chaplin, the association’s CEO and founder, found out about Stepan’s plight, she sprang into action.

The organisation helped shepherd the famous cat and his family through Poland to a safe house in France. It rented an apartment for Stepan and his family to stay in for as long as they need.

“It was not so easy, on each stage we were in touch with them,” a spokeswoman for the World Influencers and Bloggers Association Iryna Savchak said. “Now, we are personally taking care of them in France.”

There was widespread relief and rejoicing when Stepan’s account announced on Wednesday that he and his owner were finally safe.

“My favourite cat I follow on Instagram in Kharkiv has made it to safety in France as refugee,” tweeted the author Ben Judah. Others posted photos celebrating the occasion.

When war breaks out, a social media star’s network abroad can become a crucial asset.

In August, Aryana Sayeed, one of Afghanistan’s top influencers (she has more followers online than the country’s former president), was able to escape to Istanbul after the Taleban took over Kabul. Earlier this month, a Ukrainian Twitch streamer known as @bobuubi and his family were guided through the war zone by the devoted community he had cultivated on the streaming platform. “They tracked the family’s location day and night and fed them lifesaving information,” WNYC reported.

Assistant professor of media studies at CUNY Queens College Jamie Cohen said the unique bond followers feel with their favourite creators primes them to come to their aid in times of need. “A fan does not want to see their favourite influencer die or get hurt,” he said. “And by participating in helping secure the safety of the influencer you feel partially responsible for their success going forward.”

Currently, the World Influencers and Bloggers Association isn’t working on extracting other influencers from Ukraine, but Savchak said it would try to help any stranded Ukrainian creators who reach out.

“We will do our best because we are also Ukrainian,” Savchak said.

“Our association is engaging a lot of people who are influencers and opinion leaders.”
Stepan’s owner was able to travel with him in a carrier, but countless pets have been left behind in the war zone as their owners flee the country.

Animal rescuers from Poland have been working overtime to rescue cats and dogs from Ukraine, and a German organisation recently set up an animal shelter at the Ukraine-Poland border to help.

Stepan is adjusting to his new life in France. Anna said the entire family is “shocked and very much stressed” and traumatised by what they’ve been through. The comments and messages help.

By Wednesday night, more than 14,400 people had left messages of love and support on Stepan’s latest Instagram post.

“So glad to hear that you’re safe now,” one follower commented. “… We’re with you!”

NORTH KINGSTOWN, RHODE ISLAND (AP) – This is the story of a mischievous mutt who turned out to be a very good girl. Such a good girl, in fact, that she saved a life.

Ruby, an Australian shepherd and border collie mix, ended up in a Rhode Island animal shelter as a pup because of persistent behavioural problems. Five families adopted her in turn, only for each to return her because she was too rambunctious.

“She was a total knucklehead,” said shelter volunteer and dog trainer Patricia Inman, who repeatedly intervened to keep Ruby from being euthanised. “She jumped and bit her leash.

She wouldn’t sit or lie down. She just never stopped moving. She was special, and she needed a special person.”

Enter state police corporal Daniel O’Neil, who needed a search-and-rescue dog. In 2011, he was taken by an eight-month-old Ruby’s irrepressible energy and intelligence, and after Inman vouched for her, she was trained as a police K-9.

Fast-forward to October 2017, when this tale takes an incredible twist: A teenage boy got lost for 36 hours while hiking, and Ruby succeeded where a human search party failed – she found the boy, who was unconscious and in grave medical condition. He turned out to be Inman’s son.

Rescued by Ruby, which premiered on March 17 on Netflix, tells the story of a problematic pooch who just needed another shot.

“Ruby was given a chance at life and ended up saving a life,” the American Humane Hero Dog organisation said in a 2018 citation naming her the nation’s ‘Search and Rescue Dog of the Year’.

In yet another twist, Ruby is played by a canine actor, Bear, another former shelter dog who was saved by the movie’s dog trainers from being put down.

“It’s a true underdog story,” O’Neil, 41, said in an interview at his office at the Rhode Island State Police, where he now oversees an 18-dog K-9 unit.

“It’s like divine intervention. She was given a chance and she’s been doing everything she can to pay it back,” he said. “You have this dog that was given up on, and she’s changed so many people’s lives.”

O’Neil knew adopting a shelter dog written off as unmanageable was a gamble. Police dogs typically are bred for their work and trained from birth. Most state police K-9s cost USD7,500 and come from Europe.

But O’Neil recalls being impressed by Ruby’s determination and focus, and she graduated at the top of her class. And as someone with dyslexia and hyperactivity, he identified with Ruby. “We both kind of know where each other’s coming from,” he said.

On the afternoon of the boy’s rescue, Ruby led O’Neil straight to the teen, who had tumbled into a ravine. O’Neil’s radio and GPS were out of range, but Ruby’s repeated barking drew authorities to the scene. The youth, who has since recovered, declined to be interviewed.

When O’Neil knocked on the door of the boy’s home to deliver the good news, he found himself face to face with Inman: “I said, ‘Pat, this was her thank you for saving her life – she saved your boy’s life.’ And we both started to cry.”

Later, as it all sank in, Inman found herself wondering: What if?

What if O’Neil hadn’t taken a chance? What if Ruby had been put down?

“I was so grateful. I was beside myself and overwhelmed,” she said. “So many things had to fall into place for this to happen the way it did. The universe works in mysterious ways.”

O’Neil, who’s played in the Netflix film by The Flash actor Grant Gustin, said he hopes people will consider adopting a shelter dog.

“If you show them love and compassion and you give them a certain type of stability, they’ll show their true colours,” he said.