After a nearly six-month-long effort, the animals will be flown to Canada and housed in a temporary shelter as they await their forever homes
Animal welfare organization SPCA International and partners Kabul Small Animal Rescue (KSAR), War Paws, Marley’s Mutt’s, RainCoast Dog Rescue Society, and Thank DOG I Am Out Rescue Society have arranged for around 158 dogs and 146 cats stranded in Afghanistan to be evacuated to Canada in an international rescue and transport mission, after a nearly six-month-long effort to extract the animals. They will arrive via chartered plane at Vancouver International Airport on Tuesday, February 1.
SPCA International has been working tirelessly with partners to pursue options for transporting KSAR’s rescued dogs and cats out of Afghanistan after the August 31 U.S. military withdrawal. As these organizations made the necessary arrangements to facilitate the evacuation, KSAR continued to rescue animals on the ground and was able to extract over 70 dogs from Kabul International Airport. They have also saved dozens of other animals who were abandoned as their owners fled the country. Now, the animals will fly from Afghanistan to Canada where they will be housed in a temporary shelter in Vancouver as they wait to be adopted or reunited with their previous owners.
As unrest unfolded in August of 2021 when U.S. forces pulled out of Afghanistan, both people and animals were increasingly affected by the fallout. Dogs and cats were left behind in shelters and abandoned as their owners were forced to flee the country, and crucial evacuation attempts were threatened by serious safety issues, including the explosions outside Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, skyrocketing flight costs, plane restrictions, permit requirements, and other barriers.
At that time, KSAR, with support from SPCA International, hoped to evacuate the creatures in their care to North America. However, the highly volatile situation on the ground and related logistical hurdles made the animals’ evacuation impossible then.
“After doing everything in our power to make this evacuation a reality, we are thrilled to report that the animals will soon arrive in Vancouver, Canada, where we’re excited to finally welcome them to the shelter we’ve eagerly prepared for their arrival,” said Lori Kalef, Director of Programs at SPCA International. “We are so grateful to our partners for their unceasing work on this rescue mission and look forward to a time when every rescued dog and cat has found a safe, stable forever home or been reunited with their families.”
“The scope of this mission is truly amazing, with monumental efforts spanning two continents, six organizations, and countless hours in order to reach the finish line,” said Jesse Adams, Founder of RainCoast Dog Rescue Society. “We are so proud to play a part in bringing this historic rescue to fruition.”
“We can’t wait to fill our incredible temporary shelter with canine and feline friends, and we’re thankful to each and every volunteer helping to operate this space for making our mission possible,” said Susan Patterson, Founder of Thank DOG I am Out Rescue Society. “We are committed to creating new and wonderful lives for the animals left behind during the chaos of the withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan.”
“Everything we do, we do for the creatures without a voice to advocate for themselves. This mission has proven that our impacts on their behalf are greater when we come together,” said Zach Skow, Founder of Marley’s Mutts. “We believe deeply in creating second chances for animals and couldn’t be happier for the hundreds of dogs and cats who will soon have theirs.”
Considerations for the evacuation were myriad, from import and housing requirements to flight logistics to ensuring that the animals were fed, housed, and cared for throughout the months of planning. The efforts were complicated further by the CDC’s suspension of the importation of dogs into the United States from more than 100 countries considered to be at high risk of rabies, which meant that the animals could not be brought directly into the U.S.
To meet the costs for the animals’ needs, including evacuation and shelter, SPCA International continues to fundraise to ensure that each of the rescued dogs and cats will receive the best care possible and have every opportunity to find a loving home or be reunited with their owners. Funds previously raised for the animals’ evacuation have been used to support the ongoing animal rescue effort, the care of the animals at KSAR after the August evacuation could not take place, and constructing a temporary facility in North America to house the animals upon their arrival. Readers can donate here to help.
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