Dubai is facing a crisis, not only the threat posed by Iran, but also a disturbing new one involving abandoned pets.
With Iran still attacking US military bases across the Gulf countries, including the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Dubai, the foreign nationals have been trying to flee out of the region, back to safety.
As per reports, more than 100,000 foreign nationals or expats have registered with their respective governments requesting immediate assistance with evacuation.
But, as all these thousands of foreign residents scramble to leave the region amid fears of further escalation, a disturbing humanitarian crisis involving animals is unfolding.
Animal shelters, veterinarians and rescue volunteers report a sharp rise in abandoned pets left behind by fleeing owners.
Dogs have reportedly been tied to street poles, cats left inside boxes, and some healthy animals even euthanised as their owners rush to exit the country. The situation has sparked outrage among animal welfare groups and volunteers.
What Are Dubai Expats Doing?
With thousands of expatriates attempting to leave Dubai quickly, amid the ongoing crisis due to the Iran-US-Israel war, animal welfare groups and veterinarians have noticed that the number of pets being abandoned on the streets has risen alarmingly.
Volunteers describe heartbreaking scenes across the city, where dogs have reportedly been found tied to lamp posts without food or water, while kittens are being left in cardboard boxes outside shelters or residential buildings.
In one reported incident, a resident in Al Ain discovered a cat and four kittens left outside their home in a crate accompanied by a handwritten note. The message read, “Kitten 4 and mama cat inside box I am travelling back to my country because of the situations going on here. I tried to call but no one picked up my calls, so I got to know your locations. I am so sorry for keeping in front of your gate.”
As per a TOI report, residents trying to escape through Oman were forced to leave their pets in the desert when they were not allowed to carry them over the UAE border. Claire Hopkin, 53, a Dubai resident and animal activist, told The Sun, “When the war started, vets were getting calls about euthanising pets, which is disgusting.”
A volunteer revealed how “People are panicking and fleeing for their own safety but leaving their pets where drones are falling. It’s really sad. People are just letting their dog out onto the streets or dumping them in public parks. Someone even abandoned a rabbit in a park in Sharjah, complete with its hutch, a water bowl and a bag of feed.”
Hopkins also reportedly said, “Some people want to give back their adoptive pets. There are dogs starting to be abandoned. The airlines aren’t taking animals at the moment anyway, as the flights are operating a very reduced service. If you wanted to get a rabies jab, then you have to delay your travel by a further three weeks. I’m sorry to say that vets have had inquiries about euthanasia, which is disgusting.”
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The UAE has a large pet population, which has made the situation even more alarming. According to reports, the country has over 2 million pets, with cats significantly outnumbering dogs.
With thousands of expats leaving rapidly, shelters and boarding facilities are struggling to cope with the suddenly increased number of abandoned animals. Aditi Gouri, founder of the pet boarding service The Barking Lot, said rescue centres are reaching capacity due to the surge in abandoned pets.
Speaking with The Telegraph, she said, “Shelters are overcrowded right now and are doing the best they can – we are doing our best to stay as flexible as possible because we understand these are trying times.”
An anonymous volunteer was quoted by The Business Standard saying, “I’ve seen around 200 posts now, on WhatsApp groups and Facebook groups – dogs have been found abandoned on the streets, tied to poles and left behind with no owners found.
Some vets have even confirmed that owners are coming in to euthanise healthy pets because they don’t want to deal with relocation costs or paperwork.
There is no proper, large-scale shelter system here that can handle this – the few places that exist are always full … on average, I personally receive around five messages a day from people saying that they’re leaving, and will put their pet on the street if no one takes it.”
K9 Friends Dubai, a local rescue group that rehomes dogs in the UAE, speaking to the media, said that it had been “overwhelmed with the number of calls for abandoned puppies or owners wanting to leave behind pets”.
Louise Hastie, CEO of the animal welfare charity War Paws, criticised this strongly, saying, “It’s not just a problem there, it’s happening across Iraq and Ukraine as well … some people just don’t see pets the way we do. Abandoning pets at the border or on the streets, not even leaving them with the vet – there’s really no excuse for it, Dubai is an affluent country.”
Image Credits: Google Images
Sources: The Economic Times, Moneycontrol, The Business Standard
Find the blogger: @chirali_08
This post is tagged under: Dubai, Dubai crisis, dubai hit by iran, dubai iran, dubai iran attack, Dubai residents, Dubai war, Geopolitics, iran, iran attack uae, iran strikes, world politics, war, dubai war, pets, abandoned pets, abandoned pets dubai, dubai pets
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