
The lives of people in the Middle East have been thrown into chaos after the joint US-Israeli strikes against Iran last week. The nation's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed when the attacks began last weekend, and Iran has subsequently retaliated, striking locations throughout the Middle East.
Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE, Kuwait, Lebanon, Iraq, and Jordan are among countries that have come under attack. The civilian death count in Iran is presently estimated to exceed 700, while six American military personnel have died. But it's not just humans who have been impacted - one dog owner revealed they had not been able to take their pet outside for toilet breaks since the bombardment started, reports the Mirror.
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Posting on Reddit, the person living in an undisclosed area of the region where assaults are taking place sought assistance. They explained: "Since yesterday, there have been multiple explosions in my city and therefore I haven't been able to take my dog out for a walk. She went last night at 7pmish (currently 21:45 the next day) and she hasn't gone since due to the explosions not letting us leave the house."
They went on to describe how their dog declined to relieve herself in a concrete space outside their entrance, and similarly refused to use the toilet indoors. "I'm getting really worried and I don't want this to turn into a full blown emergency because she doesn't feel comfortable going to the bathroom," they stated.
"She is used to going outside and peeing on grass, and even then she's very picky about where she goes, but I don't know how long this situation is gonna last. We don't have grass pads. We have puppy pee pads but my dog is around eight, she's very much used to her grass."
They continued: "I need to figure out a temporary solution for her to use the bathroom while this is going on. We have two other dogs that pee in that area no problem and she's seen it. I don't know what else to do."
They added: "She was quite startled and scared by the noises so could that play a part in this? I've tried my best to keep her close to me and cover her ears but it's quite loud."
One user, who also lives in an area where strikes are taking place, said: "Personally I started taking mine out in between bombings, always staying nearby the house in case sirens start. I feel like teaching them to go inside the house would be troublesome to un-learn in the long run."
Another suggested: "I would highly recommend the next time she pees bring something small to wipe in her pee, then leave this on top of a potty pad so she can smell the pee scent on the potty pad."
Someone else offered: "She will go when she needs to, but it may take a while for her to overcome her aversion to going inside/on a different surface. If you've got a cue you've attached to going ('wee' or whatever), then give that and keep her there for a few minutes to see if she'll go."
A separate commenter observed: "I just want to say that I admire your love for your dog. You're dealing with literal bombings and it seems like one of your biggest priorities is your dog's health, and that is very beautiful to me."
The initial poster responded: "I'm honestly more worried for her than I am for me, at least I have some kind of context as to what's going on. All she knows is that there's unexpected big loud booms and then some little ones and the windows shake. I want to keep her comfortable where I can, she's the only one of our dogs who's super scared."
In a follow-up to their initial message they explained: "They sent an alarm last night as a warning and then another one saying things are safe for now. Woke up this morning and saw a comment to press under her ribs and she just started whimpering.
"Couldn't take it anymore and just took her outside and she ended up pottying. I don't know if it's over or this is just a 'break'."
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