Overview
- K9 Friends Dubai and other rehoming groups report being overwhelmed by calls to surrender pets and collect abandoned puppies as departures accelerate.
- Kennels and volunteer rescues describe overcrowding, with hundreds of social media posts showing animals tied to posts or left in crates and urgent appeals for foster homes.
- Veterinarians say inquiries about euthanising even healthy animals have risen as owners struggle with relocation costs, complex paperwork and scarce pet-friendly seats.
- Rescue operations face resource strains because fundraising is tightly regulated in the UAE and platforms such as GoFundMe are banned.
- Public accusations that some residents and influencers left pets behind have proliferated, though at least one named influencer denies abandoning her dog and has threatened legal action.