Wars and armed conflicts cause enormous suffering for animals. Understanding the scale of this harm and the organizations that respond to it is essential for comprehensive animal welfare advocacy.
The animal victims of war are invisible in most humanitarian frameworks. Companion animals left behind by evacuating families face starvation and exposure. Zoo animals may be deliberately released or die when staff cannot reach them. Livestock in contested areas are killed for food by combatants or simply die as supply routes collapse. The psychological bond between humans and companion animals means that forced separation during conflict also compounds human trauma. Post-conflict environments leave long-lasting hazards including contaminated water, chemical pollution, and unexploded ordnance that affects wildlife for decades.