Sad footage has emerged out of Dubai with photos of abandoned pets discarded as expats rush to leave the hotspot amid the conflict across the Middle East.
As the US-Israeli war with Iran intensifies, with missile strikes spreading across Gulf countries, some of Dubai’s expat community is fleeing the city – and leaving behind a disturbing trail of abandoned pets.
“Due to the current situation, some people are being forced to leave the UAE suddenly, and sadly many pets are being left behind,” K9 Friends, a shelter in Dubai that rescues abandoned dogs, wrote in an Instagram post over the weekend.
“At K9 Friends, we are doing everything we can to care for animals that have been left at the shelter while continuing to support the dogs already in our care.”
Another shelter called Six Hounds said it, too, is receiving daily requests.
“All of us are overloaded and underfunded and understaffed. Urgent appeal. If you can help pls DM me.”
It comes as footage of abandoned cats and dogs emerge with one pet owner even leaving a cat and four kittens inside a crate outside a local’s house.
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It included a note that read:
“Kitten 4 and mama cat inside box [sic]. I am traveling back to my country because of the situation going on here. I tried to call but no one picked up my calls, so I got to know your location. I am so sorry for keeping in front of your gate [sic].”
A photo of a dog tied to a green public bin has also gone viral but the alleged owner has spoken out, claiming the animal was not abandoned.
“Hello, I would like to correct an image in this photo, The brown dog shown in the video is MY DOG, he was not abandoned or left out on the street, he ran away from the house after the first bomb and I found him 2 days later and took him straight to the vet, I don’t appreciate putting up a photo of my dog on this video. [sic],” the alleged owner wrote on Metro UK’s TikTok.
Abandoning pets in Dubai is illegal under UAE law, punishable by imprisonment and/or fines ranging from AED 10,000 ($3800) to over AED 200,000 ($77,000), depending on the severity and danger posed, according to UAE Legislation.
Vets and animal shelters such as K9 Friends have shared several social media posts about being overwhelmed – and have begged the community for assistance.
“We have been overwhelmed with the number of calls for abandoned puppies or owners wanting to leave behind pets,” it said in an Instagram post
“At this time we have taken in as many puppies or dogs as we could and we are eternally thankful to Dr. Marko and his team at The Veterinary Hospital for supporting us.”
It advised pet owners to ensure they leave animals with registered organizations.
“During times like this, it is extremely important to support verified and registered animal welfare organizations,” it wrote.
“We strongly urge the community not to donate to or rely on WhatsApp groups or GoFundMe pages that are not registered with the CDA or relevant UAE authorities, as these cannot be verified. Supporting legitimate organizations ensures that help reaches the animals that truly need it.”
The municipality in Dubai has set up an initiative called Ihsan—smart feeding stations for cats that were abandoned by some expats who left them like cowards. I’m proud to live in a city that takes care of its cats. We love our cats. pic.twitter.com/lWqJQQRCsf
— Ian Miles Cheong (@ianmiles) March 9, 2026
War Paws, a charity that supports animals affected by armed conflict, criticized the situation and questioned how such abandonment could occur in a wealthy country.
“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,” Louise Hastie, the organisation’s chief executive officer said.
“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.”
Other reports mention pets being left stranded in the desert after residents who attempted to leave the region via Oman were prevented from taking them over the UAE border.
Dubai Municipality has since launched ‘Ehsan Stations’ an AI-based system capable of identifying and feeding stray dogs. The 12 stations will be installed across key locations all over Dubai.
Dr. Naseem Mohammed Rafee, Acting CEO of the Environment, Health and Safety Agency at Dubai Municipality, said: “The launch of ‘Ehsan Stations’ for feeding stray animals, including cats and others, reflects Dubai Municipality’s commitment to promoting humane and civilised values across the emirate, foremost among them compassion and animal welfare.”
Ehsan Stations will be launched initially in a pilot phase with Dubai Municipality testing and evaluating the initiative ahead of further enhancement and development of the idea.
