Fingers crossed for Pen Farthing and Nowzad

yes I fully understand the issue zoe if there is money raised for a charter plane use it for human beings, him and his workers included

You don't understand though.

What you've just said is exactly what he was trying to do.

He was offering seats to over 100 extra people.

I know some people seem to believe we can put people in the hold of a commercial plane, tying them up in rope but we can't.

It's just a shame that it appears he won't be able to fly out and that means many Afghan refugees will miss out on this opportunity

BlueBelle

I m wrong in your eyes alerga but not in mine
I love animals I would never harm an animal I would intercept if I saw an animal harmed but I believe these animals should be left where they are and people wanting to give money to charter a plane should give it to charter a plane for humans first
I can understand his and other posters passion to save the animals but I would personally prefer to see this passion put into giving to get those desperate men women and children who will be killed harmed or ruled with violence if they stay out of the country
I do love animals but not above humans and yes I fully understand the issue zoe if there is money raised for a charter plane use it for human beings, him and his workers included

The chartered plane would have been full of humans. I give up.

And Bluebelle, its Alegrias1.

I’ve just seen Kay Burley interview Ben Wallace and what really struck me was how this man has aged in a fortnight.

To be honest I’m finding this all very distressing. I think we should all thank our lucky stars for our good fortune to live where we do. I’m in tears now thinking of the terror and suffering happening now and what’s ahead.

I m wrong in your eyes alerga but not in mine
I love animals I would never harm an animal I would intercept if I saw an animal harmed but I believe these animals should be left where they are and people wanting to give money to charter a plane should give it to charter a plane for humans first
I can understand his and other posters passion to save the animals but I would personally prefer to see this passion put into giving to get those desperate men women and children who will be killed harmed or ruled with violence if they stay out of the country
I do love animals but not above humans and yes I fully understand the issue zoe if there is money raised for a charter plane use it for human beings, him and his workers included

BlueBelle, it's not a problem of giving priority to any planes. As Ben Wallace keeps saying it's nothing to do with the planes.

He can't get TO the airport. The Taliban have stopped him. Nobody else. He never thought that people would just stand aside as he swooped in with his staff/animals.

He did get to the final checkpoint yesterday. He didn't jump any queues. He doesn't want to jump any queues.

I don't think people are fully understanding this issue at all.

No Bluebelle, you're wrong.

You believe his family are out? You mean his Norwegian wife who makes her own decisions?

The animals are not taking the place of humans.

How many times?

In my case it’s nothing about not liking the man alergras I d never heard of him until this all happened it’s simply about thinking with my brain and not my heart

Hear, hear, Alegrias1

Thing is, nobody is standing there thinking hmm, baby or dog, which shall I choose? but that exactly what has to be done Alergra in this case, exactly
People urging this man on are thinking with their hearts not their minds
I totally agree Lincslass it’s just not as simple as the people looking on him as a hero believe Of course him /his family and his workers should be allowed out (I believe his family has) the animals should be left behind as they were before he arrived, as dreadful as that is, there are animals suffering badly in every corner of the world including our own and they cannot be elevated above the humans who will be killed and tortured if they stay The military planes getting humans out must be given prioity

Its because of him that people are indignant, isn't it? Becuase he's posh. Because he's mouthy. He's not an obedient little chap standing in line.

You do realise? Yes of course we do, we're not thick.

He was in the airport, he had all the paperwork he was told he needed. Obviously the jet needed to have permission to take off but it would have had god knows how many people on it. He is not holding his staff to ransom, they didn't need to be part of his effort.

His wife, BTW, is Norwegian and left on a Norwegian plane. He's not complaining about his staff member not being given priority, he's pointing out that she's told him that conditions in the German place she's living in are terrible.

We can't just make things up about the man because we don't like him.

Well said Alegrias and Blondiescot.

I'm not sure why a privately chartered jet should be give a slot ahead of all the military aircraft from many different countries trying to get their staff, many of whom are Afghans and their families who are in extreme danger, having worked for NATO forces, out of Kabul..

He, his staff and animals simply cannot jump the queue but I hope they do all manage to get out.

Deedaa

If Pen had been allowed to leave quickly and quietly as soon as we had raised the money for the plane it wouldn't have been the big news it has become. The government's prevarication and constant mind changing (yes you can, no you can, yes you can) has turned it into a big story. If the Taliban get hold of them now they will publicly torture and kill the animals and the people while assuring us it's all our own fault.

Why should this self entitled man have any more priority than those who are having to leave their country, maybe forever. You do realise that there have to be flight plans, military planning, adding in a private jet does not give it priority, have to wait like all the others. His staff, like his wife, could have left on military planes. Even then he’s complaining about one member of his staff who wasn’t given priority on a German flight., I know she’s pregnant, least she’s out. The poor Afghan women who’ve had to give birth mid flight, know where my empathy lies. He’s turned it into a big story, instead of quietly working behind the scenes, he’s blown it up out of all proportion.

Well said, Algerias1!

Well said, Alegrias1! Oh, and I'd be prioritising the animals over some GN posters any day of the week.

Well said, Alegrias1.

Thing is, nobody is standing there thinking hmm, baby or dog, which shall I choose?

A plane was chartered to bring him and his people out. It would have been full of people. People who had the necessary paperwork to be evacuated. Therefore there would been more spaces on the official evacuation flights because Farthing's people would have been on their own flight. Oh, and the animals would have been in the hold, where people can't go.

So anybody calling this "sentiment" needs to get their facts straight.

I totally agree with all you have written millbrook there is no way animals should be prioritised over humans and those applauding him are over sentimentalising the whole thing

There are man women children being slaughtered before your eyes he wants his animals out ahead of them? give me a break
I am an animal lover and would never ever want one harmed but this isn’t a fairy story it’s real life

If you saw a human and their dog drowning would you all save the dog first then think about the human …of course not you get the human out then if able turn to help the dog and that’s how it should be here

Hear, hear Millbrook an accurate assessment.

These are his tweets

Maudi

Well I'm sad for Pen Farthing, his staff and animals, I desperately wanted him to succeed.

He has tweeted that US have changed paperwork requirements, and as US control the airport despite being within the airport corden the convoy has been denied access and turned away…

Yes, Maudi, me too.
As a dog lover, I have been awake at night thinking about this awful situation.

Well I'm sad for Pen Farthing, his staff and animals, I desperately wanted him to succeed.

I am so delighted to see some common sense on this thread, about needing to prioritise humans over animals! (The rest of my social media seems to regard this man as an absolute hero - I think he’s a typical posh guy egomaniac)
He’s now complaining (having finally got permission to fly) that the rules had changed when he got to the airport. So his stubbornness about not leaving without those cats and dogs has potentially cost the lives of the men women and children he claims to be supporting? I notice he evacuated his own family last week though.
He’s behaved selfishly, irresponsibly and arrogantly, in my view. Mind you, if he does get them all out (and I hope he does, for the sake of those poor people) he’ll probably get given an OBE. What a ridiculous country we’ve become.

With extremists like ISIS and the Taliban (and many others) around, is it any wonder some of us prefer animals to people?