Pen Farthing speaks out on the Dubai pet abandonment crisis as rescue centres buckle under the weight of animals left behind
By Marie Carter-Robb | Editor, Pets Magazine
“I feel strongly that we have to change the global mindset so that animal welfare is integrated into the reality of expat life and now sadly crisis planning, rather than an afterthought.” – Pen Farthing, Founder and CEO, Nowzad
Pen Farthing knows what it means for animals to be left behind in a war zone. The former Royal Marine turned animal rescue campaigner made global headlines in 2021 for his fight to evacuate staff and animals from Kabul as Afghanistan fell to the Taliban. Now, watching a similar crisis unfold in Dubai, he says the situation is heartbreaking but not surprising.
“It is heartbreaking, though unfortunately not surprising, to hear that rescues like K9 Friends are seeing such a surge,” Farthing told Pets Magazine. “Having navigated the chaos of the Kabul evacuation in August 2021, I saw first-hand how quickly the human-animal bond can be strained under the pressure of a crisis.”
As escalating conflict in the Middle East drives thousands of expatriates to flee the Gulf state, dogs and cats are being dumped on streets, tied to lampposts, and left outside veterinary clinics and shelters that are already stretched to breaking point. Veterinary practices report being inundated with requests to euthanise healthy pets, from owners unwilling to face the cost or paperwork involved in relocating their animals.
For Farthing, the euthanasia of healthy animals is unconscionable. “When people are forced into a ‘fight or flight’ mindset, the complexity of transport feels overwhelming. However, the euthanasia of healthy animals should be an absolute last resort.”
During the Nowzad evacuation from Afghanistan, he says, the charity only put to sleep animals that were very old or infirm and truly could not have survived the journey.
“The rest of our animals were fully vaccinated and ready for export; they were placed in the cargo hold of our chartered aircraft and flown to safety. For the few that were too feral to ever adapt to a Western home, we ensured they were returned to the streets they knew.”
“To request euthanasia for a healthy, re-homeable pet I feel is a failure of that original commitment when acquiring the dog or cat,” he says.
On the Ground in Dubai
The crisis follows missile strikes on the United Arab Emirates by Iran, which have prompted an exodus of foreign nationals from the region. Around 14,000 British citizens have already contacted the Foreign Office to arrange their departure, and the UK Government now warns against all but essential travel to the area. But while governments have scrambled to lay on evacuation flights for their citizens, the animals left behind have no such lifeline.
Volunteers at Dubai’s rescue centres describe scenes that are difficult to comprehend in one of the world’s wealthiest cities. One rescue worker reported seeing around 200 posts in a matter of days across WhatsApp and Facebook groups, detailing dogs found abandoned on streets, tied to poles, or simply left behind with no owner in sight. Others say they are receiving multiple messages every day from pet owners threatening to dump their animals if no one will take them.
There are also reports of dogs being released by their owners at the border with neighbouring Oman, left to fend for themselves in desert conditions after being refused entry.
K9 Friends Dubai, one of the city’s most established dog rehoming organisations and founded in 1989, has been overwhelmed by the volume of calls from owners looking to surrender their pets. When contacted by Pets Magazine, the charity said it was unable to comment due to the pressure of its ongoing rescue work.
A Recurring Pattern
For anyone who works in animal rescue, the story is painfully familiar. Pets acquired during overseas postings are too often treated as temporary companions rather than lifelong commitments. When circumstances change, whether through job loss, relocation, or crisis, they become disposable.
International relocation with animals is admittedly complex. Export permits, vaccination records, airline restrictions, and quarantine regulations can take weeks or months to arrange. In a crisis, those logistical hurdles become near-impossible to navigate at short notice.
But Farthing argues that the problem begins long before any crisis.
“Responsible pet ownership begins the day you bring an animal home,” he says.
“This means ensuring pets are always travel-ready and fully vaccinated against rabies and up to date with the necessary blood titres and paperwork, long before a crisis hits.”
Louise Hastie, CEO of War Paws, a UK charity supporting animals in conflict zones, has echoed that sentiment, and is reported as saying there is no excuse for abandoning a pet in an affluent country like the UAE. Hastie, who is herself currently stranded in Iraq, has said she would stay with her rescued animals until the very end.
Hastie told Metro: “It’s happening across Iraq and Ukraine as well. Some people just don’t see pets the way we do.
How You Can Help
For the rescues on the ground in Dubai, the priority right now is immediate: finding emergency foster homes and preventing healthy animals from being killed simply because their owners have gone.
If you would like to support the organisations working to save these animals, here are three charities at the heart of the effort:
K9 Friends Dubai – One of Dubai’s longest-running dog rescue organisations, currently overwhelmed by the surge in abandonments. They urgently need donations and support. Visit k9friends.com
War Paws – A UK-based charity dedicated to helping the forgotten animals of war, working across Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, and other conflict zones. Even £1 a month makes a difference. Visit warpaws.org
Nowzad – Founded by Pen Farthing, Nowzad has rescued and rehomed thousands of animals from conflict zones, beginning in Afghanistan. Visit nowzad.com
You can also help by sharing this story. The more visibility these rescues receive, the greater the chance of finding foster homes and donations for the animals now in their care.