Dogs tied to poles, cats left behind: Expats flee Dubai without pets amid war
India Today
A growing number of pets are being abandoned in Dubai as expatriates scramble to leave the region due to the escalating Middle East conflict.
As missiles and rising tensions push people to leave parts of the Middle East, many pets in Dubai are being left behind. Animal rescue organisations say they are witnessing a worrying surge in abandoned dogs and cats as owners scramble to evacuate the region.
According to reports, shelters and rescue organisations are struggling to cope with a sudden rise in abandoned animals. The situation has become particularly worrying for groups like K9 Friends, which say they have been inundated with calls from owners looking to surrender their pets or asking for help rehoming them before leaving the country.
Veterinarians in Dubai have also reported an unusual surge in inquiries about euthanising pets. Some owners, facing expensive relocation procedures, strict paperwork requirements and limited flight options, have allegedly asked clinics to put down even healthy animals rather than take them along.
Images circulating on X, show dogs tied to lamp posts with no food or water, while others appear to have been abandoned on the streets in the sweltering heat. Animal welfare volunteers say they have also come across cats and puppies left outside homes or shelters in crates.
HEARTBREAKINGEXPATS FLEEING DUBAI ABANDON THEIR BELOVED PETS TO A CRUEL FATE AS MISSILES RAIN DOWNPanicked Brits are tying terrified dogs to lamp posts with no food or water, dumping cats and puppies on scorching streets, and begging vets to euthanise healthy animals pic.twitter.com/TwxHsUgLKv— Grifty (@TheGriftReport) March 9, 2026
In one particularly heartbreaking case reported by The Sun, an animal rescuer discovered a cat along with four kittens left in a crate outside a residence. A note attached to the box reportedly read: “I’m travelling back to my country because of the situation here.”
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