Kabul Small Animal Rescue. …

Update. January 30, 2022.

We Have LiftOff.

Evacuation is a go. That’s right – 133 cats and 152 have been airlifted out of Afghanistan and are on their way to Canada. Below is a direct copy and paste from the Kabul Small Animal Rescue about the logistics of the mission. View the emotional video of Charlotte at the airport and the departing plane (5:35 timestamp) here.

“Our flight departs Kabul on Sunday, January 30th, early afternoon and lands in Vancouver late the next day to be received by the SPCA International-led group of rescues. The plane is a total beast, an Ilyushan 76-TD, basically built for flying into Siberia in the middle of winter, so we do not expect winter weather to cause any delays or disruptions. There are two crews and three loadmasters to help manage the safe loading of our animals. It’s non-palletized loading, which means the crates are packed directly into the plane and strapped in, not first put onto pallets and netted down. This allows for way more efficient packing, and the load plans we’ve been shown are incredible, with stacks of crates back to back in rows that allow the fronts of crates to be viewed so we can constantly check on the animals and safely and easily move them to clean crates, provide fresh food and water, and address any health problems. We have two animal handlers flying with them out of Kabul and accompanying them the whole way: KSAR staff member Derick Stone and Jeff Beri, a volunteer on loan from No Dogs Left Behind . At each refueling stop there will be crew rest, and veterinary teams will come do full checks on each animal, crates will be cleaned, food and water refreshed, and lots of cuddles given. We will be traveling with about a metric ton of supplies, and hundreds of people have put their concerted efforts into planning for every contingency. We are not depending on luck for this one, but have instead embraced the 7 Ps: Proper Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance.”

All we can is … MEOWZA!!

Update. October 5.

• The deranged and devastating smear campaign on Twitter has prompted Charlotte to post a heartfelt Facebook post explaining what transpired during the failed evacuation of her, her staff, and animals from Kabul during the last week in August. She also talks a little about the complexity and legalities of getting out of Afghanistan with the animals.  She also shows proof of life. Apparently the dreadful rumor mill is not only reporting that she is dead, they are then accusing her of running off to Jordan with the donation money. Please read directly from Charlotte here.
• On a happier note, KSAR just rescued … kittens! Cute video here.

Update. September 23.

• So far Charlotte and her team have rescued 40 of the dogs released by the US military at the airport. They continue to go back every day to rescue more and to support the Afghan airport staff in caring for the dogs still there.
• KSAR continues to take in animals in Kabul as they are one of the only rescue organization granted permission by the Taliban.
• Land routes out of Afghanistan are deemed unsafe due to ISIS terrorists in the area so they will wait until they can safely take a plane out.
• As always, please avoid the #OperationHercules thread and get all your information directly from Kabul Small Animal Rescue Facebook Page.

Update. Tuesday September 14.

• Charlotte and her team continue to go to the airport every day to rescue the released dogs. They have an armed Taliban escort and are continuously negotiating with the Taliban to retrieve the dogs as well as rescue other abandoned animals in Kabul.
• A couple of days ago they rescued a turtle and are going back for the cats, bunnies, and puppies at the property.
• The #OperationHercules thread on Twitter has now turned into a creepy coordinated smear campaign against Charlotte and KSAR. This is in addition to all the misinformation and conspiracy theories still taking up the thread. As a result, KSAR has taken down their Twitter account and is now limiting comments on their Facebook page.
• Again, for verified updates please go directly to the source –  Kabul Small Animal Rescue Facebook Page and/or SPCA International Twitter Page. 
• The KSAR Facebook page includes recent photos of Charlotte and her rescues!

Kitty Update. Monday September 6.

• KSAR just posted an update (with pictures!) of the cats in their care. See the Facebook post and pics here. They say the cats are being cared for until they can get them on a plane out of Afghanistan. Sadly, several perished – most likely due to the tear gas exposure at the airport they believe.

We’ve all been waiting to hear how the cats are doing and it is a relief to hear they are well. Everything had been focused on the dogs in the press releases and on social media. Paws crossed they all get out soon!

• I still recommend avoiding the  #OperationHercules thread on Twitter. It has officially become a cesspool of misinformation, conspiracy theories, and unhelpful hysteria. Actually, quite damaging hysteria. I wrote a bit about this directly below in my Sunday update. Get your updates directly from KSAR, SPCA International, and Puppy Rescue Mission. ↓↓↓

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Update. Sunday September 5.

• Charlotte, Afghan staff, and the animals are still in Afghanistan trying to work out how to get out and rescue the released dogs at the airport.
• There are so many crazy rumors and so much finger pointing and hysteria and hate happening on the #OperationHercules thread on Twitter that KSAR is requesting that we only get our updates from  SPCA International https://twitter.com/SPCAINT ,  Puppy Rescue Mission  https://twitter.com/puppyrescuemis1 , and of course  KSAR https://twitter.com/KSAnimalRescue themselves. But KSAR is not posting much as they are working and needing to keep plans quiet.
• A message from Puppy Rescue Mission about the situation/donated funds here.
• As they say, “war is hell”, and Charlotte, staff, and animals are in hell and have been for two weeks. And, in ways that I don’t think anyone who isn’t there can really understand. I am devastated that the animal rescue community is turning on each other with everyone participating in “Monday Morning Quarterbacking”, screaming about how donations are spent, and spreading hysteria and untruths. Unfortunately, that occurs all too frequently in animal rescue. (Someday I’ll write an article on that and why I think it happens.) As it stands, we are not going to know exactly what happened until Charlotte and her rescue group are out of Afghanistan and safe. So why participate in the vitriol and panic in the meantime? It will not help bring Charlotte, her staff, and the animals back.
• Still hoping for a good outcome for all of Kabul Small Animal Rescue.

 

Update. Tuesday August 31.

• Charlotte Maxwell-Jones and staff are still in Afghanistan.
• The cats are at Nowzad. They and most of the KSAR staff never made it inside the airport.
• The rescued dogs were forcibly released from their crates at the airport by the US military. They were never able to get out due to US government, CDC, and Department of Defense rules as well as failed attempts to get the privately funded planes into the airport.
• The 46 working dogs are being cared for by a contractor and his family at the airport..
• At least seven animal rescue NGOs in the US and the UK are trying to get her, the Afghan staff, and the animals out. Here is their press release from SPCA International stating all  relevant and true information.

I’m sorry for not posting updates since Friday but there were so many crazy and horrific rumors going around that I wanted to be sure to not add to the panicked frenzy.

I was also feeling hopeless on Monday thinking it was all over but –

No one is giving up it appears. So I won’t either.

Kabul Small Animal Rescue still needs support and attention.

Update. Friday August 27.

• KSAR are inside the airport desperately trying to get permission to use the cargo holds of departing evacuation planes for their animals. Their charter plane cannot get in soon enough.

Update. Thursday August 26.

• KSAR is at the airport.
• No one one on their team was hurt in the explosion.
• The Taliban are not allowing the Afghan staff to enter the airport to leave but KSAR have not given up getting them out and are still trying.
• Dogs are inside the airport. Cats are still outside

Update. Wednesday August 25.

• The Taliban have agreed to let the clinic stay open until they evacuate. This must be done by August 31.
• KSAR are still rescuing abandoned cats and dogs from fleeing Afghans as well as abandoned service dogs by the US military.
• They still need donations as prices for the planes continues to increase. For example, KSAR says that the flight to Jordan was $300,000 a few days ago and is now up to 800,000. Here is a link to their Kitty Evacuation GoFundMe if you are able to donate.

Update. Monday 1:15pm.

• Penny Mordaunt, UK member of Parliament and former Defense Secretary, is trying to contact KSAR to help with their landing permit for the cargo plane.

URGENT UPDATE. Monday afternoon. 12pm PST.

• Kabul Small Animal Rescue needs a landing permit for their cargo plane of  200 cats and dogs. RIGHT NOW! The Taliban are on the clinic’s front lawn demanding they leave. Everything is set for them to transport 200 people and 200 animals but they need a landing permit/call sign!
• Please use the list (and anyone else you can think of in the US government) from my Nowzad post to demand they get a landing permit for Kabul Small Animal Rescue immediately.
• Video of American founder, Charlotte Maxwell-Jones today.

https://fb.watch/7zckhsRNds/

Hey Awesome Peeps aka Kitty Keyboard Warriors,

I’m keeping my “serious” hat on to let you know of another wonderful but desperate animal rescue in Kabul that needs help.

It’s Kabul Small Animal Rescue, a veterinary clinic and animal rescue NGO founded and run by Charlotte Maxwell-Jones.

Kabul Small Animal Rescue is actively accepting cats and dogs from evacuees trying to leave Afghanistan. They are raising money for cargo flights to transport the animals already in their care plus these new ones they are receiving.

On Wednesday I posted about Nowzad Animal Rescue and their efforts and needs to get out of Afghanistan. (You can find updates on that post here along with links to contact USA and UK government officials).

The good news is that Nowzad has received an incredible amount of donations and now has the British Foreign Office helping with their Veterinary Car Team’s Visas. They’ve received a ton of publicity. And it’s working!

Go Keyboard Warriors!

Kabul Small Animal Rescue hasn’t had anywhere near as much publicity as Nowzad so we in the cat rescue community are trying to change that. Especially since Maxwell-Jones is committed to continue intaking pets and (like Nowzad’s Pen Farthing) is refusing to abandon her Afghan staff.

The bravery these animal rescuers are displaying is mind boggling to me.

Please share and donate if you can. Let’s Rescue The Animal Rescuers and Rescue Cats!

Donations – www.gofundme.com/f/kitty-evacuation-from-afghanistan

Twitter – https://twitter.com/KSAnimalRescue

Facebook – www.facebook.com/kabulsmallanimalrescue

I will also update this post with developments so be sure to check back.

Meows,

Cynthia (Marcy + Penelope Kitten)

♥

 

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