Guwahati News Desk: Paul Farthing, the CEO and founder of Afghanistan’s only dog and cat shelter, pleads the British government to help rescue him, his staff and the 140 animals of his shelter.
Paul Farthing, also known as ‘Pen’, founded the Nowzad animal shelter in Kabul rescuing dogs, cats and donkeys after serving with the British Army in Afghanistan in the mid-2000s.
Although Pen’s shelter has raised more than $200,000 to fund a cargo plane to fly the animals out. But with Kabul’s streets filled with gun-toting Taliban and with thousands of Afghans laying siege to the airport, desperate to flee, Farthing is at his wits end.
Farthing said, “My problem is not the cargo plane, that is the easy bit. It’s getting into the airport. Until America and Britain get the access to that airport sorted, how am I meant to get 71 staff members through there, let alone two trucks full of dogs and cats? My wife went and was nearly crushed to death.”
On Monday, Farthing urged the public to“get behind the Prime Minister”as he sought to persuade Joe Biden to keep the Afghan air corridor open beyond the August 31 evacuation deadline. To which the Defence Secretary said he was unable to guarantee, whether the staff of Farthing’s animal shelter will be able to leave Afghanistan during the current evacuation window.
Ever since the collapse of the Afghan government, he has been campaigning to have all of his staff and their families, as well as his 140 dogs and 60 cats, evacuated from the country. But after the ongoing disheartening results of his efforts, through a tweet on Monday, Farthing expressed his feelings by saying, “I have been left to fend for myself in Kabul. Cut off from my #MoD support line by the special advisor to @benwallacemp. 22 year Marine left behind lines.. neither my staff or animals will now get out – cheers @BorisJohnson”.
He added, “As before I am staying with my staff and animals. I’ll get them in that airport and I will get my flight in. You picked on the wrong person to back down @BWallaceMP I served 22 years as a @RoyalMarines We don’t quit.”
Further stating about his decision of not leaving Afghanistan Farthing said, “I could go now if I wanted. I would have to fight to get through as there is a horrendous humanitarian crisis at the airport. I am not leaving without my 24 staff and their families. They don’t deserve the fate that is about to befall them. I’m terrified my female vets will end up being married off to a Taliban fighter and have to stay at home making babies. They are terrified too. Their future has been ripped from them.”