Armed conflict creates devastating welfare emergencies for domestic and wild animals left behind, injured, or whose care networks have been destroyed.
Conflict creates multiple simultaneous animal welfare crises. Companion animals are abandoned as families flee, facing starvation, injury, and trauma. Livestock farms are bombed or abandoned, leaving animals without food, water, or veterinary care. Zoo animals in conflict zones face both direct attack risk and loss of feeding and management staff. Long-term, landmines and unexploded ordnance continue killing and maiming wildlife for decades after active conflict ends. The welfare of conflict zone animals requires both emergency response organizations and long-term mine clearance and habitat restoration.