DUBAI: As escalating tensions and missile strikes in parts of the Middle East force residents to leave the region, animal rescue organisations in Dubai are reporting a troubling surge in abandoned pets.
According to rescue groups and veterinarians, shelters across the city are struggling to cope with a sudden increase in dogs and cats being left behind as owners prepare to evacuate. Organisations such as K9 Friends say they have been inundated with calls from pet owners seeking to surrender their animals or requesting assistance to rehome them before departing the country.
Veterinary clinics in Dubai have also reported an unusual rise in inquiries about euthanising pets. Some owners, faced with costly relocation procedures, extensive paperwork and limited flight options for transporting animals, have allegedly requested clinics to put down even healthy pets rather than take them along.
Images circulating on social media platform X show distressing scenes of dogs tied to lamp posts without food or water, while others appear to have been abandoned on streets in the extreme heat. Animal welfare volunteers say they have also found cats and puppies left outside homes or shelters in crates.
In one reported case highlighted by The Sun, an animal rescuer discovered a cat and four kittens left in a crate outside a residence with a note that reportedly read: “I’m travelling back to my country because of the situation here.”
Rescue organisations say they are now urgently seeking foster homes and temporary shelters as the number of abandoned animals continues to rise. Hundreds of posts about deserted pets have surfaced across local social media groups, with volunteers sharing photos and appealing for people to adopt or temporarily care for the animals.
Some reports also suggest that pets have been abandoned along desert routes leading towards the Oman border as residents attempt to leave the region by road.
Animal welfare advocates say the situation highlights the vulnerability of pets during times of conflict and displacement. For shelters already operating at full capacity, the sudden wave of abandoned animals has become an overwhelming challenge.
Meanwhile, the conflict in the region continues to intensify, with the Israel Defense Forces stating that Israel has carried out around 3,400 strikes on targets in Iran over the past week as its military campaign against Tehran continues.
