A site called Sps International reported that 286 cats and dogs had been evacuated from Afghanistan and arrived in Vancouver, Canada. A source confirmed that these animals arrived aboard a charter flight. It was reported that it had been about six months that every attempt was made to evacuate these animals from the Asian country and finally, on February 1, they arrived in the Canadian metropolis.
The cats and dogs in question were evacuated with the assistance of the Spca (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) aboard a Russian aircraft. On its Facebook page, the organization thanked everyone who helped them in this undertaking and added that they were surprised to be able to evacuate so many animals. The Spca stressed that all its employees and more than two hundred volunteers took part in the operation. After the Taliban seized power, thousands of Afghan citizens were evacuated to foreign countries. According to sources, some countries have also brought animals out of the Asian country.
The same sources add that Paul “Pen” Farthing, a former British marine and founder of the Nawzad animal shelter, evacuated around two hundred cats and dogs to London. The airplane carrying these animals landed at London’s Heathrow airport. Dominic Dyer, one of Farthing’s spokespersons, called him a hero. Earlier, some people had criticized British Prime Minister Boris Johnson for evacuating animals, pointing out that the UK authorities, instead of rescuing vulnerable people, evacuated the animals of a charity.