Dogs from an American-run Kabul animal charity appear to have been released at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Afghanistan.
A statement from the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) International said that animals from Kabul Small Animal Rescue (KSAR) were “released into the airport on August 30 as the airport was evacuated – turning once rescued shelter dogs into homeless strays.”
KSAR founder, the American Charlotte Maxwell-Jones, tried to get their dogs and cats on charter planes and military aircraft but wasn’t able to, according to SPCA International. The animals had been in cages at the airport for five days waiting to get on a flight, before they were released.
The exact whereabouts of the animals and how many animals were released, is unknown.
“We are busy making plans, checking them twice, sorting out details, and keeping things quiet to maintain our own and the animals’ security,” KSAR said in a Facebook post on Tuesday, adding “we are busting our tails to do everything we can to save our furry friends”.
The SPCA statement added that Maxwell-Jones “was escorted by the Taliban back to her rescue shelter, 7 miles outside of Kabul, where she remains safe for the moment” after being “forced to leave the airport with one puppy under her arm as final military evacuations occurred”.
Before leaving the airport, the statement added that Maxwell-Jones “requested the US Military open the bags of dog food she was able to bring into the airport and scatter their contents in the area where the dogs had been released.”
KSAR helped American troops bring home cats and dogs from Afghanistan after their deployments ended.
On Sunday, Pen Farthing from the UK-based animal charity Nowzad landed in London with about 170 animals from Afghanistan. The dogs rescued by Nowzad are currently in quarantine in England.
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