Afghanistan: New hope in former Marine Farthing’s attempt to rescue 200 dogs and cats from Kabul | world News

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The former defense secretary, a former Royal Marine who was trying to evacuate 200 dogs and cats along with his crew at an animal shelter from Afghanistan, has given new hope.

Paul Farthing, better known as Bean, established the Nawzad Shelter in Kabul after serving with the British Army in Afghanistan in the mid-2000s, with the organization Save Dogs, Cats, and Donkeys.

Since the collapse of the Afghan government, he has campaigned to evacuate his employees and their families as well as 140 dogs and 60 cats from the country in a plan dubbed Operation Astronomy.

On Monday, Farthing announced that the UK government had granted visas to all of his staff and their families – 68 people – but the evacuation of the shelter’s animals remained a sticking point.

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‘I should prioritize people over pets’

Ben Wallace insisted that the animals should wait behind because the UK would prioritize evacuating people on RAF flights from Kabul.

On Tuesday, Nowzad supporters announced that a privately chartered Airbus A330 – funded by donations – was ready to fly to Kabul to rescue the group’s workers and animals.

But Wallace said this was not a “magic wand,” and insisted that the main problem with evacuations in Kabul was getting people safely to and through the airport.

He said the chartered plane would only “close the airport” and “sit there empty” because treating the thousands of people trying to leave Kabul would take priority over airlifting the animals.

However, in a series of tweets early Wednesday, Wallace said that if Farthing arrived at the airport with his staff and animals, officials would allow them to leave on the chartered plane.

“Now that Pen Farthing personnel have been approved to apply under LOTR, I have allowed the Department of Defense to facilitate their processing along with all other eligible personnel at (Kabul airport). At this point, if he arrives with his animals, we will look for a place for him. The plane,” Mr. Wallace tweeted.

“If he doesn’t have his animals with him, he and his staff can board an RAF plane. I have been consistent the whole time, ensuring that the most vulnerable are treated first and that the limiting factor was the flow through the airports and not the capacity of the plane.”

Photo: Pen Farthing served in Afghanistan in the mid-2000s. Pic: Nowzad

Mr Farthing previously said the animals would be carried in the plane’s hold and that once his staff were accommodated, any spare seats on the plane could be filled with other people allowed by UK authorities to pass, with the flight capable of accommodating 250 passengers in total. .

“The cargo hold is empty – we put dogs and cats in there!! and 250 people upstairs in the cabin!” Mr. Farthing tweeted.

Earlier, one of Nowzad’s supporters in the UK, veterinary surgeon Dr Ian McGill, said people were ready to take in animals that were once brought to Britain.

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