A woman from Monroe is back home after spending months in Ukraine rescuing disabled dogs.

She tells News 12's Shosh Bedrosian animals are oftentimes forgotten about in times like these, especially disabled ones.

Emily Franco moved to the United States three years ago and started a business in Fairfield County taking care of senior and disabled animals.

“I was not the best at school, it was pretty hard for me because of the bullying and stuff. That kind of led me to the animals, where the animals were kind of there, unconditionally, for me," said Franco.

When she heard about the war in Ukraine, she said she knew she had to do something.

Franco packed up what supplies and medicines she might need, caught a flight to Poland where she purchased a car and a trailer, and set off to rescue disabled animals and people in hardest hit areas.

Franco says she saved close to 40 disabled dogs on her journey, one of them was shot in his spine and couldn't use his back legs.

"They're the ones that are always forgotten and they're the ones that are always pushed to the side. They're always left out of everything," she said. “If a person says these are just dogs then clearly they have never felt the love of a dog or an animal and never looked into their eyes and gazed back at them after their adoption."

Franco plans on heading back to Ukraine and raising money for her next trip. If you would like to help, you can contact Franco on PayPal via her email emilyfrancorescue@gmail.com.