**Instead of making use of of available spots on a plane for rescued animals to escape Kabul, Afghanistan, the Department of Defense made a "policy decision" to forcibly release them from their crates in the airport (around 130 dogs including working dogs, and US Citizens' dogs), into the middle of a war zone. US woman Charlotte Maxwell-Jones of Kabul Small Animal Rescue has stayed behind in attempts to rescue the pets that were left behind, and is a HEROINE.  The US Government should do everything in their power to help her and the abandoned dogs and cats get to safety.  Please sign to hold the US Government and Military decision makers accountable; this sickening action should be investigated, and must never happen again!** 

DONATE TO KABUL SMALL ANIMAL RESCUE'S EFFORTS DIRECTLY HERE

Animal Rescue Organizations have reported that approximately 130 dogs have been atrociously abandoned in a Kabul airport, in the midst of an Afghan war zone, allegedly as explicitly directed by the US military, due to a Department of Defense "policy decision".  This despite hundreds of thousands of dollars being raised by generous donors and organizations such as the SPCA International towards a private charter plane; the rescued dogs were reportedly denied access to the plane, and instead, heartbreakingly, were forcibly released from their crates into the airport to fend for themselves. US citizen Charlotte Maxwell-Jones, Founder of the Kabul Small Animal Rescue (KSAR), is said to have clung on to one rescued puppy that she managed to keep secure, and was escorted from the airport, helpless.  This heroine made the decision to put her life in danger, and instead of boarding a flight to safety, remained in Kabul in a last ditch effort to try and help the animals she so desperately tried to save.

According to SPCA International, among the 130 dogs were "working dogs", and dogs relinquished to KSAR by US Citizens fleeing the terror of war torn Afghanistan.  KSAR was also attempting to evacuate a number of cats, who, unlike the dogs, are believed to have never made it past airport security; these cats have allegedly been assisted by staff from British charitable organization, Nowzad, who were left behind in Kabul (although, unlike the US Government, the UK Government successfully facilitated an evacuation of Nowzad's own rescued dogs). 

Although the Department of Defense denies that military dogs were left behind in Kabul (following a successful air evacuation of such dogs), they fail to make the distinction between military working dogs and contractor working dogs.  These are dogs working in dangerous situations for the benefit of humans, and are no less worthy of survival, as the President of American Humane explains; "These brave dogs do the same dangerous, lifesaving work as our military working dogs, and deserved a far better fate than the one to which they have been condemned."

To any people that may argue that "animals lives shouldn't be valued more than human lives" during these trying evacuation procedures; we note that the rescued animals were expected to fly in Cargo, and so were NOT taking up spots designated for humans. 

While the circumstances involving evacuations in Afghanistan were admittedly chaotic and somewhat unforeseen for both people and pets, the questions we demand an answer to are:

• WHO from the Department of Defense made the utterly catastrophic decision to release Kabul Small Animal Rescue's 130 or so dogs into the most hazardous of environments?
• Why is the DoD not taking any accountability for this "policy decision" to abandon 130 dogs and block their evacuation?
• What is being done by the US Government to ensure the safe passage of the remaining dogs and cats (including working dogs and those belonging to US citizens), that are the responsibility of US led rescue groups; and of human heroines such as US citizen Charlotte Maxwell-Jones, out of Afghanistan now that US troops have departed?

We can barely stand to think of the horror experienced by the 130 dogs forcibly released at the Hamid Karzai International Airport among explosions and chaos; left by the US Government to either starve and perish, alone and afraid, or risk being subjected to torture or violence.  This video corroborates their presence roaming at the airport after US troops departed. 

But, all hope is not lost, while Charlotte Maxwell-Jones from KSAR bravely fights to secure the safety of the cats, and potentially some of the dogs, that remain.  You can support her efforts by donating directly to Kabul Small Animal Rescue here.  Follow KSAR's Facebook page for updates.

And please spread the word so that this callous act against precious furry creatures does not go unnoticed; it must NEVER be allowed to happen again.