As rising tensions and missile threats linked to the Middle East conflict push many residents to leave the region, animal welfare groups in Dubai say they are seeing a sharp increase in abandoned pets.
Rescue organisations report that dogs, cats and even smaller pets such as fish and turtles are being left behind as families rush to depart the UAE amid growing uncertainty.
Shelters and rescue centres across Dubai say they are struggling to cope with a sudden surge in deserted animals, reports NDTV.
One of the organisations facing mounting pressure is K9 Friends, which says it has received an overwhelming number of requests from pet owners asking to surrender their animals or seeking help to rehome them before leaving the country.
Animal welfare groups believe the trend is linked to residents making hurried plans to relocate because of the ongoing regional tensions. Many pet owners reportedly find it difficult to manage the complicated procedures involved in taking animals overseas.
Rescue experts advise owners to use commercial pet boarding facilities available across the UAE and keep their animals there until they return or arrange for the pets to travel abroad.
Veterinarians in Dubai also say they have received an unusual rise in inquiries from pet owners asking about euthanising their animals.
According to veterinarians, some owners have allegedly requested that even healthy pets be put down due to the high cost of relocation, complex paperwork and the limited availability of flights that allow pets.
Images circulating on social media platform X appear to highlight the scale of the problem.
Some photos show dogs tied to lamp posts without food or water, while others appear to depict animals abandoned on streets under intense heat.
Volunteers say they have also found cats and puppies left in crates outside homes or near rescue shelters.
In one reported incident, an animal rescuer discovered a cat and four kittens abandoned in a crate outside a house.
Rescue organisations are now scrambling to find foster homes and temporary shelters as the number of deserted animals continues to grow.
Local social media groups have seen hundreds of posts about abandoned pets, with volunteers sharing pictures and urging residents to adopt or temporarily care for the animals.
Some reports also suggest that pets have been left along desert roads leading towards the Oman border as residents attempt to leave the region by car.
Animal welfare advocates say the situation highlights how domestic animals often become vulnerable during times of conflict, instability and displacement.
For shelters that were already operating near capacity, the sudden influx of abandoned animals has created a serious challenge and underscores how, in moments of panic, pets are often the most helpless victims.