Fingers crossed for Pen Farthing and Nowzad

I had to step away (step far away) from my laptop yesterday for my (hoping not to sound too far up my own arse) mental health.

And yes, the misinformation on this thread is astonishing, the same arguments from earlier pages rolled out again and again.

I'm not going to go over the correct information that's already been put out by Alegrias1 and others. No-one has ever said the animals should take the place of people, but there are (have been) windows when planes have to leave and if the people aren't processed in time those planes will leave empty. That was the premise. Now, instead of looking at the last date being 31 August 2021 we are told it's hours and no more people will be processed.

I'm truly struggling to put my emotions into words. 13 US soldiers killed yesterday -

The correct information is that because of Biden- again - Pen and the animals couldn’t get through. This isn’t misinformation; it’s from the man himself.

From what I understand further to tickingbird -

Biden is the one dealing with the Taliban.
Biden has put in place with the Taliban what paperwork is required for people to be allowed through the Taliban checkpoints, and the paperwork that the UK (and other nations) have supplied doesn't meet that criteria, so Pen and others have been turned away.

Ireland, Denmark, Canada, all have left Kabul airport.

In my opinion Pen now needs to leave by whatever means necessary in order to be safe and to be in a position to help his colleagues being left behind. He's going to be sought out for TV and press and hopefully be able to get people out if the Taliban "play ball". That is imperative.

Next priority (in my opinion) will be the fact that banks have been frozen and Pen hasn't been able to pay his staff, they won't have been able to buy food for the animals.

It's a very uncertain future for Afghanistan. Frustratingly so many of the American people I follow on Twitter see the US leaving Afghanistan as a huge success for Biden and either can't or unwilling to see the unholy mess that's been generated.

Alegrias1

Callistemon

Becuase he's posh

Posh?
He was a sergeant in the Royal Marines. Does that make him posh?


It's nothing to do with that. I really hope he can get a slot to fly out and I have no idea how they are allocated but obviously it must be that, amidst all the chaos, slots are allocated on some kind of basis, perhaps different countries being allocated so many a day.

Quote from 6:55 this morning, not from me: "I think he’s a typical posh guy egomaniac"

I missed that. Oh dear, what a ridiculous remark and totally unjustified.

I am so very sorry he and his people (and the animals) have been stopped from leaving and, as with all those in despair left behind, feel real anguish at the thought of what may happen to them all now.

Me too Callistemon. They are facing a very uncertain future.

Just said on the news that he and his animals are on their way through the airport. I hope it’s true.

I hope so too MayBee. I was just thinking about those petrified creatures.

Oh I do hope so.

Looks like its true now BBC news let's just hope

Latest Ministry of Defence

Wonderful news, let's hope its true.

I saw the tweet too from the MOD Press Office. They say Pen and his "pets" which makes me think it might be his two personal dogs and the one that belongs to his Norwegian wife. I had another weep and went for a lie down.

I hope his staff managed to get out too and some animals, this story and how people have reacted to it negatively has really upset me

I passed a baby badger killed on the road this morning and that just finished me off. I keep thinking about there scared, trusting little faces in the crates.
Obviously I know every single being waiting at the airport is desperate but the dumb animals can only trust and wait.
I don't know how Pen will cope if he hasn't been able to achieve what he set out to do.

Zoejory

tanith

If the Americans won’t let him through his argument is lost so no one is to blame here please stop arguing the toss of who said what to who and when etc etc etc.
The whole debarkle is very sad.

It's NOT the Americans stopping him It was the Taliban.

For goodness sake, the amount of misinformation on this thread is horrendous.

It certainly is.
Reminds me of the Monty Python film Holy Grail, the characters in the tower who can’t understand they have to stay there....We’re coming with you!
I hope he gets out with his staff and animals but have had a bad feeling about it since I first heard of their plight.

Hope the pets aren’t just his personal pets?

I feel sorry for his neighbours if they are.

Well he's been in touch with his wife and has been able to bring the 200 cats and dogs with him. Devastated at leaving the staff but they were all encouraging him to leave.

200 you say? Ye gods, I didn’t realise it was that many.

All needing to be found homes of course, along with all the other unwanted animals here already in shelters.

Could be worse I guess, he could have been bringing back 200 alpacas.

Sorry. I know an awful lot of people are desperately concerned about the fate of the famous alpaca.

Actually you couldn’t make it up could you?

He flies home with 200 animals yet leaves his staff behind.?

JE, you're just sounding increasingly ridiculous.

Thanks for the update Zoejory

The staff wanted him to go. They will be a lot safer now that he's gone and taken the dogs with him. Dogs are reviled by many over there.

They are going to try to sort out evacuation for the staff.

Oh and the dogs and cats all have homes organised.

Won’t they have to go into quarantine for six months? I doubt if they have pet passports.

I was wondering about that Ladyleftfieldlover

Saw this on the Government website

You can enter or return to Great Britain with your pet cat, dog or ferret if it:

has been microchipped
has a pet passport or health certificate
has been vaccinated against rabies - it will also need a blood *test if you’re travelling from an country that is not ‘listed’
Dogs must also usually have a tapeworm treatment.

Your pet may be put into quarantine for up to 4 months if you do not follow these rules - or refused entry if you travelled by sea. You’re responsible for any fees or charges.

So if Pen has done all of the above, quarantine isn't required.

Ladyleftfieldlover

Won’t they have to go into quarantine for six months? I doubt if they have pet passports.

My thoughts too.
Have the quarantine facilities here got sufficient room?