Fleeing Dubai expats leave pet dogs and cats in street to starve
Some owners are asking vets to euthanise their family pet.
Expats fleeing Dubai are abandoning their pets in their rush to leave the Gulf state as the Iran war continues.
The scramble to exit the United Arab Emirates city has been largely hindered by strikes at various sites, including the airport.
Local vets are saying there are large numbers of cats and dogs being dumped and left to fend for themselves on the streets.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.Further, there are reports of many owners asking vets about euthanising their pets, The Telegraph reported.
K9 Friends Dubai, a dog shelter that rescues abandoned pets and rehomes them, said they had been overwhelmed with calls in recent days.
“We have been overwhelmed with the number of calls for abandoned puppies or owners wanting to leave behind pets,” they wrote in an Instagram post.
The shelter is urging people fleeing Dubai to take they furry friends with them.
“Your pets are part of your family. If you are leaving do not leave them behind,” they said on Facebook.
“We understand the situation is tense and there might be families trying to return to their home countries for safety, we urge you to take your pets with you.”
Aditi Gouri, owner of Dubai pet boarding service The Barking Lot, said that shelters are doing what they can in difficult circumstances.
“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.”
Volunteers at rescue centres have said they have been inundated with hundreds more abandoned pets than usual.
One volunteer who chose to remain anonymous told The Telegraph social media is full of pictures of abandoned pets.
“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,” they said.
“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.”
