Vicky Pattison has criticised expats who have left their pets behind in Dubai amid the escalating conflict in the Middle East. The 38-year-old presenter took to Instagram to condemn those abandoning animals, stating they 'never deserved that animal to begin with'.
Pattison and her husband Ercan Ramadan recently fled Dubai, where they were caught in the conflict while on holiday. They undertook an 11-hour drive across the border to Oman amid what Pattison described as 'rising panic'. The couple had wanted to return to their dogs, Milo and Max, and abandoned plans to fly to Australia or New Zealand after previous flights were cancelled.
Social media has seen images of pets tied to lamp posts or left without water, while vets report a surge in rehoming requests as expats return to the UK. Some animals are reportedly being euthanised as a result. Dog rehoming group K9 Friends Dubai said it has been overwhelmed by owners wanting to give up their pets and has received many calls about abandoned puppies.
Claire Hopkins, a Dubai resident and animal charity volunteer, told the Daily Mail: 'Some people want to give back their adoptive pets. There are dogs starting to be abandoned.' She added that airlines are not taking animals due to reduced flights, and getting a rabies jab would delay travel by three weeks. 'I'm sorry to say that vets have had inquiries about euthanasia, which is disgusting.'
Pet boarding service The Barking Lot told The Telegraph that shelters are already 'at breaking point', with animal rescue centres reporting hundreds more abandoned pets than usual. A volunteer added: 'Some vets have even confirmed that owners are coming in to euthanise healthy pets because they don’t want to deal with relocation costs or paperwork.'
