Animal charity’s staff, pets seek way out of Afghanistan

By JILL LAWLESS
Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — A former Royal Marine who runs an animal charity in Afghanistan says he, his Afghan staff and dozens of dogs and cats are stuck outside Kabul’s airport as they try to get a flight out of the country. Paul Farthing appealed on Thursday to the Taliban to allow the group safe passage into the airport. Farthing has been pressing for days to get staff of his Nowzad charity out of Afghanistan, along with the group’s rescued animals. U.K. Defense Secretary Ben Wallace declined to airlift the animals on a Royal Air Force plane. saying he had to prioritize people over pets. The defense ministry later said it would help the group, including animals, leave on a privately funded chartered jet.