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Chill Ukrainian cat Stepan wins the HT Brunch Social Media Star of The Week for raising $10,000 through social media to help animals suffering because of Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Pawsitive beginnings
Stepan is 13 years old, and lives in Kharkiv, east Ukraine. His human, Anna, rescued him off the street when he was only a month old! Laid-back and almost always seen with a drink, Stepan first went viral in 2019 with over 27 million views of a video that showed him next to a glass of wine.
Millions of people related to Stepan’s home-alone parties during the pandemic, which he posted to his handle @loveyoustepan. He took off globally when pop icon Britney Spears reposted one of his Instagram posts in November 2021. The same month, he appeared in an advertisement for fashion brand Valentino. Now, he has over a million followers on both TikTok and Instagram.
Getting to safety
On March 3, days before the war started, Stepan posed for his Instagram account with a large cheese pizza and the TV remote. After that, he disappeared for two weeks, making his followers concerned for his safety. He then resurfaced with a post detailing his—and his human’s—long, arduous escape to safety in Poland and eventually, France.
Ameowzing news
On March 24, Stepan began collecting donations for Ukrainian organisations that protect animals. Just three days later, he had collected $10,035 to donate to Happy Paw, UAnimals, XII Months, Plyushka, and the Mykolaiv Zoo. “My dear friends, I’m (sic) grateful for your responsiveness and support,” read the post. “Your contributions are priceless—thanks to your support, we might provide decent care and treatment for every animal in Ukraine. Thank you so much!”
Who should be the next HT Brunch Social Media Star Of The Week? Nominate using the hashtag #BrunchSocialMediaStarOTW or email htbrunch@hindustantimes.com
Follow @modwel Instagram and @UrveeM on Twitter
From HT Brunch, April 9, 2022
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