London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Jul 26, 2025

British ex-marine leaves Afghanistan with 200 dogs, cats but no staff

British ex-marine leaves Afghanistan with 200 dogs, cats but no staff

Paul “Pen” Farthing's mission to rescue the animals has gripped and divided the UK.
A former British marine who ran an animal sanctuary in Kabul that was home to 200 cats and dogs has left Afghanistan on a chartered plane with his pets - but left his local staff behind.

Paul “Pen” Farthing and his animals took off from Kabul late on Saturday after waging a high-profile campaign in the UK that has divided the country and reached the highest levels of government.

Dominic Dyer, who is a U.K.-based spokesman for Farthing, told AP that the plane was due to land at London's Heathrow Airport on Sunday.

Farthing started the Nowzad charity after serving with British forces in Afghanistan 15 years ago and was offered safe passage out of the country along with his staff members and their families.

But Farthing refused to leave without the animals and used media interviews and social media to launch what his supporters called 'Operation Ark'. He won support from celebrities including British comedian Ricky Gervais.

Others considered his campaign a distraction from the UK effort to evacuate 15,000 Afghans and UK citizens.

“What would you say if I sent an ambulance to save my dog rather than to save your mother?” said Conservative lawmaker Tom Tugendhat, who served with the British Army in Afghanistan.

“We’ve just used a lot of troops to bring in 200 dogs. Meanwhile, my interpreter’s family is likely to be killed,” Tugendhat told radio station LBC on Saturday.

Farthing and his supporters say Operation Ark did not take airplane seats from people or drain resources from the official evacuation operation. But government officials disagree.

Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said the military had to prioritize people over pets and complained that some of Farthing’s more militant supporters had “taken up too much time” of senior commanders and had sent abuse to military staff.

On Friday, after days of failed attempts by the group to reach safety, the British military said it had given clearance for the chartered flight and British troops had “assisted” Farthing and the animals into the airport.

Dyer said Taliban guards would not let the Afghan staff enter, even though they had papers permitting them to come to Britain. He said Nowzad would continue to work to get them safely to Britain.
Comments

Sid 4 year ago
Are the dogs and cats Muslims that hate infidel? My guess he made a good choice

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
×