Pen, Tali and Nowzad in Friends for Life 2008.

The Kennel Club Charitable Trust donates towards Operation Ark.

The Kennel Club Charitable Trust has donated towards an emergency evacuation mission for Afghanistan-based charity Nowzad, and is calling on other animal organisations to follow suit.

The Trust says ‘time is of the essence’ for the staff, volunteers and animals in Nowzad’s care, who have found themselves caught in the middle of the desperate and dangerous situation in Afghanistan.

Nowzad urgently needs £200,000 to evacuate its veterinary and support staff members, as well as funds to help save more than 200 dogs and cats currently in its care. 

The fundraising mission, named Operation Ark, has received support from UK veterinary bodies, animal welfare campaigners and a host of famous faces, including Ricky Gervais and Peter Egan. 

Following its donation, the Kennel Club Charitable Trust is asking other animal organisations to do the same - and help their colleagues in Kabul facing an increasingly uncertain future. 

Nowzad is a long-term partner of The Kennel Club and Crufts, where they have been raising funds for more than a decade. In 2008, Nowzad founder Pen Farthing and his two rescue dogs, Nowzad and Tali, were finalists in the Kennel Club’s Friends for Life Competition. 

“This is an emergency situation where the lives of animal welfare heroes and the animals in their care, are at stake," commented Reverend Bill King, chairman of The Kennel Club Charitable Trust. "The Kennel Club Charitable Trust donated funds to Nowzad as soon as we were made aware of their desperate situation, and we would like to appeal to other organisations to help them too. 

“Their situation is critical, and any amount will help, and time is of the essence for the people and animals linked to this inspirational charity," Bill continued. "Nowzad has improved and saved the lives of thousands of animals since 2006, despite the difficult conditions the staff often worked in, and the animal welfare world should come together to ensure they get to safety.”

In addition to the fundraising campaign, Nowzad is desperately urging UK citizens to contact their local MPs with a plea to ensure its staff – including Afghan nationals who work or volunteer for the charity - can be taken to safety. 

More information about Nowzad is available at  Nowzad.com/donate or for Paypal donations email donations@nowzad.com (UK based donations).

Image (C) The Kennel Club.