Armed conflict causes devastating but rarely discussed welfare consequences for wild and domestic animals. From abandoned pets in Ukraine to wildlife displaced by military activity, conflict zones create acute animal welfare crises.
Animal welfare in conflict zones is one of the least visible and most severe welfare crises globally. Animals cannot seek safety independently, cannot communicate distress through human social channels, and lack legal standing in international humanitarian law. Yet their suffering — from abandonment, starvation, displacement, and direct injury — is as real as human suffering in the same contexts. Emergency response organisations including Four Paws and IFAW have demonstrated that animal welfare operations can be conducted in conflict zones with sufficient preparation, local partnerships, and international support. Public engagement with conflict zone animal welfare builds support for organisations capable of responding.