Pet owners in Dubai are abandoning their animals to flee the missiles raining down on the Middle East.
Vets have reported an influx in inquiries about euthanising pets as thousands of Brits trapped in the region scramble to get home.
K9 Friends Dubai, a dog re-homing group, said it has become overwhelmed by the number of dog owners wanting to leave their pets behind and phone calls they have received about abandoned puppies.
Animal groups are trying their best to find shelters – but hundreds of posts about deserted pets have been spotted online.
And some vets have had to euthanise even healthy pets because their owners don’t want to face the relocation costs or paperwork.
Claire Hopkins, a resident of Dubai who volunteers with several animal organisations and shelters, said they were under severe financial pressure as fund-raising activities are highly regulated and Gofundme pages are banned in Dubai.
She said: ‘Some pet owners are stressed and panicking. It’s right across the board, and I think the Brits are better than most, but you’re talking about 200 different nationalities here in the UAE.
‘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.
‘Most vets would pass them on to the shelters, but we’re already full.’
Anso Stander is a South African woman who runs the Six Hounds animal sanctuary in Al Ain in the UAE.
She said she had been inundated with requests to house abandoned cats and dogs.
‘In just one day, I had 27 messages’, she said.
‘People are leaving the country and telling us very politely and discreetly that if we can’t take them, we’re going to leave them.
‘We’re talking about some people with 20 cats who are trying to leave the country’
In one heartbreaking instance she recalled a cat travelling box full of kittens with a penned note in broken English which 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 location. I am so sorry for keeping in front of your gate.’
Ms Stander said that two dogs had been shot in the desert between UAE and Oman.
She added: ‘In times like these animals suffer silently. Some may be left behind in the chaos. But we cannot do this alone, we need sponsors for building emergency catio (an outside cattery) and kennel structures and for staff, food and vets bills.
‘It’s selfish and heartless and there’s absolutely no reason to panic at all. Let me tell you that this government has got everything under control.’
