Desperate Dogs in Afghanistan; Sand Running out Trying to Save Left Behind Pets

Dr. Charlotte Maxwell-Jones went to Kabul, Afghanistan to take rescue animals. She started Kabul Small Animal Rescue. Now she, her staff, and her animals are the ones who need to be rescued. As the days go on and the forces of the Taliban in Kabul increasingly mix with elements of the Islamic State group known to the world as ISIS, prospects for a rescue become tenuous.

Dr. Charlotte Maxwell-Jones, director of Kabul Small Animals Rescue (Credit: Hearts of Asia Society – used with permission)

There is a plan to rescue Charlotte’s web, but according to Meredith Festa of Paws Unite People in Long Island, NY, the process is bogged down in red tape; specifically, US red tape.

Festa posted on Facebook:

We wanted update those of you that are following the situation in Afghanistan & our efforts to assist in the evacuation rescues. People are asking what they can do to help so I wanted to address who needs what. Kabul Small Animal Rescue is an American run charity. The staff needs to come here, and the animals are American owned, as they are in KSAR care. We’re working with KSAR & all their rescue partners to secure a flight to evacuate.

It’s a very complex problem. Due to the CDC ban on dogs from Afghanistan and MANY other countries entering the USA, it’s been a challenge. We are able to get a plane, but we need to get permission for that plane to pick them up in Kabul. We need the USA to let a plane in to help them or nothing else can happen. We can address CDC issues and getting everyone to airport later, but no plane…. no nothing.

UK citizens are backing up another rescue organization Nowzad. We hope and pray the USA will do the same for KSAR. We are asking all of you, as members of the P.U.P. family, to help us help these amazing people and the animals get to safety.

Spread the word, tell their story. Don’t let America leave them behind. We have bipartisan assistance from Long Island delegates, but the USA is bigger than just Long Island. All you need to do is ask your representatives to please allow Kabul Small Animal Rescue to the landing permit to have a plane land and the boarding authorization for the staff and animals to depart. That is the help needed to get them out. It’s a simple request. They don’t have to pay for it. Not a taxpayer dime will be used.

Moment of Desperation

As the days drag on without the US being able to troubleshoot the logistics, things have steadily degraded. At 6:00 AM Eastern Time, KSAR posed the following on their Facebook page.

Please PLEASE share.

This is now becoming seriously dangerous

The situation in #kabul #Afghanistan is now CRITICAL

The plane and staff permits are sorted for extraction BUT we desperately need a landing permit for the animals before it is too late.

Charlotte has been on the streets of Afghanistan rescuing dogs and carrying on her vital work even whilst the Taliban have been cracking down, but sadly TIME HAS NOW RAN OUT.

We desperately need all the help we can get.

Please share and help us get the word out.

Thank you

Link to video.

The despair on the face of this video by Charlotte Maxwell-Jones is palpable.

The United States either has to act immediately or add to its continuing string of failures to pull something out of this debacle. All it will take is for the White House to listen to the growing number of bipartisan members of Congress who are inquiring about this issue and direct the executive branch agencies to issue the landing permit and boarding instructions.

In my opinion, the consequence here is far more than a planeload of dogs. This is about whether or not this administration is about to go to the dogs and lose support and credibility in Congress, and with the American people.

We are all about to see how this episode of “24” plays out.