Author Archives: Sally and Brin

Nowzad are an a amazing charity who began due to one man, Pen Farthing, who served in Afghanistan in 2008. During a patrol he broke up a dog fight, rescued a dog who became the linchpin for many others to eventually come under the umbrella of the charity to find safety.

This dog is called Nowzad after the place where he was first found and still lives in the UK today.

Pen went on to write about his time in Afghanistan in two books-

‘One dog at a time’ and ‘No Place like Home’ which have been read all over the world.

From a small shelter in Kabul animals find refuge, food and medical care and from there they are sent to homes all over the globe.

But for Brin, his journey was to be a little trickier.

With the silence that came, two weeks before Cpt Mark left, there came  fear. Very little knowledge is shared about the way these animals travel but it is always one of danger, uncertainty and possible failure.

No word from anyone at this time is like standing on a very high precipice without a safety net and no matter how hard you try the butterflies just will not settle.

It was not until later was I to learn exactly how Brin made the long journey to Kabul but, while at the fun day, I knew that this journey was being made. I could not tell anyone but instead continued to share his story with hope while ignoring the churning that continued with unrelenting pain deep within my stomach.

It was 10 minutes before the stalls were due to be packed away that a text came in..a text that I shared with the crowd who had done so much that day:

‘Brin has arrived at the shelter…picture to follow’

The cheer that went up was incredible. These people, along with so many unsung heroes who helped me so much, were truly part of that moment and it is those ‘moments’ that live in your heart forever.

Funny how a picture can affect you so much. I have often thought about that.

Over the years I have seen countless furry faces peering out at me through the screen needing homes, or some kind of support, for medical help and I have tried to do what I can.

I have often wondered what if I hadn’t checked my computer that day…or missed the posting of the photograph that ‘spoke’ to me so much. I have also wondered if the path of saving Brin was also a path for saving myself in some way. He had become my total focus, my passion.

I knew nothing about Brin apart from what I had been told and even less about the country from where we were hopefully going to pluck him from.

I began to read books to educate myself about the people, the landscape and, above all, the history.

‘My Forbidden Face’ by Latifa was one book that taught me so much about the plight of the people who have blighted by war for over 30 years. It is an insight to one families life and how how it changed within 24 hours with the invasion of the Taliban in Kabul and their life beyond. It also gave a stark insight to the abandonment of their domestic animals through fear of persecution.

What would happen to Brin if he got out had not occurred to me either..I assumed Mark would care for him or someone else who had known him at the base. I already had three elderly collies plus a cat and, somehow, living with Brin had not come into the equation.

As for Brin, all had gone quiet for while. Cpt Mark had returned home for a 2 week rest and Brin was left in the care of others at the base. Nowzad were working behind the scenes to find a way to rescue him.

What I didn’t know was that a plan had already been hatched to removed a little brown dog from the most dangerous part of Afghanistan…

Helmand Province.

with the weeks that followed Brin’s story began to spread worldwide and emails and donations came from all corners of the globe. I would spend each and every sunday replying personally to everyone who had left a contact and this would often take 5/6 hours or more.

Contact with Cpt. Mark would be very spasmodic due to difficulties of communication, but when he could write we would exchange brief details of what was going on. He was overwhelmed at the response Brins story had received and despite the little detail he was able to share about this small brown stray I could tell there was a real desperation to get him out by the time the tour of duty was over.

Brin, having survived all he had been through, had also been lucky enough to be cared for by two patrols in that area..and was unlikely to survive a third. As is the nature of war strays are not part of the plan and often a base is ‘cleared’ of strays before the next troops arrive. A harsh reality for an already harsh existence.

With Brins picture glued firmly onto my wall in front of my desk I continued to write to as many people and celebrities I could think of. No replies came from anyone and it was the general public who stepped up to help each and every time.

One phone call from a lady who had seen the article on Brin lifted my spirits. Karen and James own a pet store in a nearby village and they wanted to help by running a fun day and raffle in aid of his rescue fund. She was so enthusiastic and passionate about his story and really wanted to help.

A date was set and donations flooded in for raffles and prizes from many generous companies and to cap it all the sun shone all day. Crowds of people came and I spent many hours sharing Brins story with them all.

That day the wonderful people who came raised over £700.00 towards Brins fund…

but there was one thing I hadn’t shared with them all…yet…

News started to spread regarding the story of Brin and the local BBC radio contacted me for an interview at 7am two weeks after the story was published in the local paper. Having never done an interview before I was so nervous but the story of Brin was so amazing that it was easy to share with the listeners. From there came other offers from BBC Brighton and Radio Live 5. Some were easier than others as I was asked;

‘Why rescue a dog from Afghanistan when there are so many needing homes here?”

Of course, this is true.

I have rescued all my life, and the list is pretty vast. Sheep, goats, dogs, cats, and Canaries. The Canaries came by accident when I once broke down in Croydon and, while waiting for help to arrive, I went into a pet store and spied two birds in a terrible condition and bought them on the spot to nurse them back to health.

But Brin deserved a chance too..no matter where in the world he was and, if by doing this and sharing his story, it would educate people to the plight of these animals then it would be worth it. These dogs, through no fault of their own need a voice and I hoped that my voice would be heard.

As the letters came in one in particular struck me.

A gentlemen who had served in the Suez Canal Conflict in 1968 sent me a cheque for £10.00 in ‘memory of all the strays he cared for during his service’. This moved me greatly and I wrote to him saying if Brin made it out I would buy him his first toy with the money…and I prayed that I would be able to keep that promise…

I also had offers of the whole amount..emails came form a source that seemed genuine. I was in shock but held my nerve as this was such a large amount of money to give.

But the wonders of the internet can reveal amazing things…and with careful searching the money was being offered from a source that was covering its prejudices and a wide berth was needed.

So, with a polite withdrawal, I continued the campaign with a new insight of paths to avoid…

It was Marks family who told me about Nowzad and the work they do to help animals adopted by serving soldiers make it out to a new life, and home.

Life for the strays in Afghanistan is extremely harsh and the local people are often fearful due to the risk of disease from countless dogs and cats roaming free. The hot days and bitter nights also take their toll on these animals.

For the animals who find their way to a base their future is also often limited due to strict guidelines surrounding the befriending of these animals. For the soldiers who care for them they will tell you that they offer comfort and a ‘little piece of home’.

Nowzad said they would try to help but in the meantime to start fundraising to cover the costs involved. The costs being the care, flight and quarantine of Brin should he be saved. The overall costs would amount to just over £4,000 and after a sharp intake of breath I embarked on another journey that would enable me to encounter the most amazing people, along with a few that would also question what I was trying to achieve.

Printing out posters was the start, along with ‘ebaying’ collection tins to place anywhere that would take them. I wrote to the local papers as well as the nationals and it was the local Sussex Express who took up the story and ran with on the front page.

Not knowing quite how to collect any funds I started a ‘gofundme’ page testing it by donating the first amount. Kevin followed suit and there was a real moment of excitement that came with seeing two donations!

Unbelievably, this was followed by more the next day along with words of encouragement that made it all seem more real.

Through the paper article checks arrived, along with cards and letters all hand written. I made a point of writing back to each and every one to thank them for their kindness and also included a small photo of Brin.

During this time Cpt Mark and I managed a few emails and I explained what was going on over 4,000 miles away. He was in disbelief that there could be a chance that Brin might make it out before his tour of duty was over, but we still had a long way to go. Raising the funds was one thing…but just how do you get a dog out of the most dangerous area in Afghanistan?…this problem was tucked away for the time being as the campaign to get him out began to intensify…