Dogs of War redux

By Nigel Green

Royal Marine Pen Farthing was so shocked by the way he saw dogs being treated in Afghanistan that he decided to launch a special rescue operation.

Pen first sprang into action when he decided to break up a dog fight organised by Afghan police and soldiers just outside his base.

One of the dogs was rescued by Pen and moved into the base he shared with his comrades from Kilo Company of 42 Commando in 2006.

Pen became so attached to Nowzad – named after the town the marines were guarding – that he built a mortar-proof kennel for him and fed him on leftovers.

Before long, Pen and his comrades were caring for more stray dogs, who gathered outside the base begging for scraps.

They named their new pets Tali, RPG, AK and Jena.

To add to the workload, Jena has eight puppies.

Unable to abandon the pack when they left the base, Pen and his colleagues devised a plan to get the dogs out of Afghanistan.

In a secret mission, all the dogs and puppies were loaded onto the back of a taxi and driven to Kandahar.

Pen had wanted to put the dogs into cages but the driver refused.

The driver told Pen that only the British would bother to go to such lengths to care for dogs and, if he was stopped by the Taliban, he could be killed.

Instead, the dogs were tied up with rope – something more likely to be done by Afghans.

Pen said: "There is no pampered pet status in Afghanistan.

"Dogs are about as close to the bottom of the welfare list as you can get but then again human life tends not to be that far up it either at times."

Sadly, RPG and AK somehow escaped from the taxi and were lost.

The puppies contracted a virus and died.

But the others made it to freedom.

Jena finished up being adopted by a family in America, while Nowzad and Tali are being cared for by Pen and his wife Lisa at their home in the South West of England.

After 20 years service, 39-year-old Pen recently left the Royal Marines and has set up a charity called Now Zad Dogs.

Nowzad and Tali have even been displayed at Crufts.

Lisa said: "No way did I ever think that Nowzad and Tali would one day go from the war torn town of Now Zad to staying in a posh hotel room so they could appear at Crufts - the biggest dog show in the world."

Meanwhile, Pen has written a book, with a percentage of the profits helping to rescue more dogs.

In total, the charity has brought seven dogs to the UK, as well as sending three to America and one to Holland, and is in the process of rescuing another eight dogs – and two cats.

Pen said: "We can't explain how they are transported back or where the rescue is as too many people are against the thought of any local Afghan people helping the military in any way.

"All I can say is that it takes a lot of planning, money and at times vast amounts of good luck.

"But the charity is growing at a steady rate and our mailing list of supporters is increasing daily.

"We have also seen a steady increase in the demand for information from servicemen and women who need help with a stray dog or cat that has found its way into their lives.

"But this proves that even in war the British Serviceman shows compassion.

"A lot of people could learn a thing or two from the example some of these lads are setting in the way they conduct themselves."

* Pen's book One Dog At A Time is published by Ebury Press.

For more details on the charity, you can visit www.nowzaddogs.co.uk