Armed conflicts and humanitarian crises cause enormous welfare harm to animals. Understanding this neglected dimension of conflict helps integrate animal welfare into humanitarian response frameworks.
Conflict zone animal welfare represents an almost entirely neglected dimension of humanitarian response. The abandonment of companion animals during rapid displacement events leaves millions of animals without food, water, or shelter. Farm animals left behind when farmers flee face prolonged starvation. Zoo animals in bombed or abandoned facilities face immediate crises of food supply and safety. The welfare harm to animals in conflict zones is both direct from weapons and explosions and indirect from the collapse of care systems. International humanitarian frameworks that include animal welfare dimensions in response planning would improve outcomes for both animals and their displaced human companions, given the documented psychological importance of companion animals to refugee wellbeing.