A hastily torn piece of paper, scribbled on with a pen and taped to the top of a plastic pet carrier. Inside, a frightened family of cats – a mother and her four kittens – are huddled together.
The animals were simply dumped and left to their fate. This isn't just a sad, isolated incident. It's a heartbreaking symbol of a massive, unprecedented betrayal currently unfolding in the cities of the United Arab Emirates.
Dubai: a wave of fleeing influencers
When the first rockets from the war in Iran hit Dubai, panic erupted in the city's luxurious penthouses and villas. Foreigners, wealthy business people, and social media influencers hastily packed their bags.
In those chaotic minutes, priorities were quickly set: passports, expensive laptops, and precious luxury watches were packed away safely. The main thing was to get out quickly with their valuables.
Yet, in their rush to escape, many of these people made a chilling decision. As the front door closed behind them for the last time, they left behind the very beings that couldn't save themselves: their own pets.
A wave of cruelty
"There are no state-run shelters here to take in animals in an emergency," explains 18-year-old Tas. She lives in Dubai and is desperately trying to prevent the worst through her online portal, UAE Animal Community. She keeps her surname private for fear of repercussions.
For Tas, the nightmare began with a single Facebook post. A cat's owners wrote, without any shame, that they had fled by car to Oman – without their pet.
"That's when I realised what was about to happen," Tas told BILD. Since then, a "veritable wave of abandoned animals" has swept across the city. In her WhatsApp and Facebook groups, she has already documented around 200 cases.
And that's just the tip of the iceberg. A glance at the former owners' profiles reveals the bitter truth: these are people living in luxury, including many well-known influencers.
The animals left behind
Anyone who thinks that taking pets with them was simply impossible or unaffordable in the chaos of war is sorely mistaken. The bitter reality is far more mundane and cruel: it was simply too much effort for the rich and beautiful.
"And yet, it only costs about £85 to fly a pet to Germany, for example," Tas calculates. The real obstacle is the bureaucracy.
To get a pet across the border, whether by plane or by land to Oman, you need a pet passport and valid proof of vaccination. A rabies vaccination and the corresponding blood tests require a waiting period of two to three weeks.
This is time and effort that many seem unwilling to invest in their four-legged companions. Some simply prefer to leave, abandoning their dogs and cats to their fate.
Offers of help coldly ignored
In about 50 cases, Tas actively offered to help the fleeing owners get the necessary travel documents for their pets. Her heartbreaking conclusion: "But they just don't want to."
While the influencers have long since found safety, wearing their rescued luxury watches on their wrists, an army of abandoned living beings remains in Dubai – locked in flats, tied to benches, or left in pet carriers with little notes attached.
