Here’s a story of human and non-human bravery so extraordinary that you might find it unbelievable—but probably still exciting—if it’s ever turned into a movie.

Anastasiya Tikha is a 20-year-old Ukrainian woman who lives in the town of Irpin, 13 miles north of the country’s capital, Kyiv. She’s a veterinary student who also runs a small animal shelter with her husband, Arthur Lee, 26.