This Pen Farthing guy

[TheGenealogist]

The bloke with the animal shelter in Kabul.

Refusing to leave unless he can take ALL of his 60 odd staff and ALL of his 200+ cats and dogs with him. Expecting the government to make special rules for him and his friends.

Getting people out - understandable. The Taliban aren't going to look kindly on people who have translated for the military, or "collaborated" in other ways. But staff at an animal shelter?

And as for the refusing to leave without the animals and making this all out to be the UK government's fault? For not falling over themselves to arrange transport for a bunch of ownerless animals nobody wants when there are human beings in fear of their lives?

What is this guy playing at?

Pen has stated his has a plan to get into the airport that doesn't involve the British military helping.

Thats very nice.

So the crowds are going to part like the red sea and the gates will just open without the aid of those standing guard.

Meanwhile, those who are actually on the ground and can see whats going on are reporting the trauma that British soliders of 18 and 19 are having as they are having to make decisions about life and death and refuse to take families, whilst also seeing children and the elderly dying right in front of them (they are already being given specialist councilling) and know its a 'bit more complex than that' and any departure requires the support and cooperation of those on the ground.

As it goes it appears this guy has now got the green light to leave with all of his people and goats and frogs. So everyone on this thread should be delighted.

I've always found the sentimentality around animals to be a western affliction borne of great privilege.

Let’s hope you’re doing what you can then to help them. I remember raising money for an animal charity at work and a colleague just sniped and said she’d rather help starving children. I told her if she set up a fundraiser, I’d be the first to contribute. She didn’t.

Ha ha. I have family who say things like charity starts at home. But funnily enough, they won’t give to any ‘home’ charities. The truth is they just won’t help anyone but themselves. Whatever, but let others help if they want without whinging and putting a downer on it.

Some of the comments and attitudes here are precisely the reason a lot of people prefer the company of animals to other humans. It is humans that caused this whole mess anyway.

But that's not in relation to this particular situation...just in general.

@TrifleCat

I think as an ex SAS officer he is disgusted by the way the military have been withdrawn and wants to make as much noise as possible about what is happening over there and the plight of those people and animals he knows and feels responsible for. By staying there and making a fuss rather than slinking away and leaving them to their fate he is doing the best he can for them. I'm sure there are a lot of people who would rather he shut up so that they can start turning a blind eye to what is going on

I think this is spot on.

I agree with this also.

I can only think some people want him to fail. Not because of the animals, but because of the people he is bringing with him

@Comedycook

I've always found the sentimentality around animals to be a western affliction borne of great privilege.

Its always serves to be reminded that laws against animal cruelty were enacted by parliament before laws prohibiting cruelty to children were in the UK.

There are very much reasons for this.

Ah, I see all the useless armchair generals are out in force, slagging off the efforts of someone trying to help both people and animals out of a desperate situation.

They’re usually the types to whinge loudly whilst simultaneously doing the square root of absolutely nothing themselves.

Quite frankly, I’d swop a dog or cat for any one of these pathetic individuals. No seriously, I would. They mean absolutely fuck all to me. They’re strangers with odious beliefs. Hell, even a hamster 🐹

'That there’s 2 threads now on one man just doing his limited best, picking and piking and humphing that well, I don’t think animals are more important than humans! like whiny stuck records is pathetic.'

Well that is not the general consensus on either thread. What has been said is in an emergency situation he should not have demanded his pets and strays have transport out when people are crammed outside the airport waiting. I'm sick of hearing about 'the hold', it is getting to it that is the issue. It is ridiculous. Sad yes, but I'm sure stray dogs and strays cats will continue long after his departure. Talking of stuck records how many times have we heard 'I'm an ex marine'.

@NiceGerbil

I think the idea that it's more important to get a hold full of animals out rather than s hold full of children for example. Is s bit strange but there you go.

If animals don't die in the hold then neither will people.

A cat left to its own devices has a chance.

Human children and babies under the taleban with who knows what happening to their families etc. Not so much.

Eye opening thread. Often MN is like this. Ah well. It's known that lots of English people prefer animals to people. Said on threads here all the time.

I'm sure it would look great for them to be hurling cat carriers full of babies and toddlers into the hold.

In any case, this is a person with a known military record who has access to locals in a way current military personnel don't. There is no way a single person connected to him is going to survive the next six months if they stay there because he's going to be perceived as some sort of undercover mercenary/spy if he isn't anyhow . Extra bonus, they get to save a bunch of animals carried in the bit that can't take humans.

'I can only think some people want him to fail. Not because of the animals, but because of the people he is bringing with him'

No, not one person has mentioned refugees. The airport staff should be processing the papers of as many refugees as possible not processing and loading stays dogs and cats.

Crikey, this thread is depressing.

This man, his staff, and the Afghans who have worked with us during the war have all been badly let down by the government and our allies. They have made an utter balls-up of the withdrawal. He has done everything in his power to get his staff to safety and has offered 100 additional slots on the plane he has arranged and some people think he’s doing something wrong.

I can’t believe that there are seriously people questioning his staff being able to get to safety. Wtf is wrong with people who, on hearing about someone trying to get their staff out, think “Hmmm… what makes him think his staff are so special”. God only knows what mumsnet would have said about Oskar Schindler. “Who does he think he is, paying bribes to keep his staff safe when other people are dying. He’s probably just hoping someone will make an Oscar-bait movie about him with Humphrey Bogart one day.”

A lot of the people waiting at the airport are stuck not because there aren’t enough slots, but because the authorities can’t process their paperwork quickly enough. We have filled space in planes with cargo, including a car, supposedly because the paperwork for a full plane of human beings couldn’t be processed in time. He had all of the paperwork in place for his staff. If people are left to die in Afghanistan then it won’t be the fault of this man, who was doing the best he could for a group of humans and animals that he had responsibility for.

As it goes it appears this guy has now got the green light to leave with all of his people and goats and frogs. So everyone on this thread should be delighted.

I am delighted for those people. It doesn’t mean I don’t feel sickened that so many others are going to be left behind. This is not a fair situation, it could have been an entirely avoidable one, but that isn’t his fault or responsibility. He’s saved who he could. Any ‘goats and frogs’ are extra and not taking the place of any human being.

I think as an ex SAS officer…

Point of order/point of fact/attempt to stop further embellishment of this tale.

He’s not ex SAS (there a joke about the Albert Hall balcony in there somewhere) and he wasn’t a commissioned officer.

And TBF to him I don’t think would or has claimed to be or have been either.

@Brainwave89

Even if the plane is paid for, to accommodate it requires air traffic schedule and work by UK and American security staff to get him into the airport. All to the potential detriment of others. I will get flamed for this, but animals are not a priority, people are and working in an animal sanctuary should not give you a ticket out of Kabul ahead of staff who have worked with the British army and who will now be in imminent danger of torture and death.

I fully agree with this. Yes it is sad about the animals and heartbreaking about his staff, it must be devastating. But his staff are no more entitled to seek asylum than any one else in Afghanistan. I heard a heartbreaking interview yesterday with the BBC correspondent who recorded it with a journalist she met who is also desperate to leave and fears for her life because she is a journalist and because she is a woman. As @Brainwave89 says we owe a duty of care to the people who worked for us in Afghanistan, the translators, the fixers, the security guards, the drivers, they should be the priority, not just for evacuation but for support and employment in the UK.

The reality is none of us know what is actually happening on the ground there, whether the people in the crush at the gates have visas, whether they could get on a plane or not, whether the airport is at full capacity, whether flights are leaving empty or full. Pen Farthing doesn't know that either - so really all he can do is try and get his people and animals out the best way he knows how.

TheGenealogist, I am an animal lover and do support some animal charities but would put human beings first in all situations.

However I don't think you need to worry about this particular man, his animal shelter and staff. Animal charities exist for such situations and they will do all they can to help and accommodate. If it doesn't work, so be it but they will try and there's no need for any of us to fret about it.

Yep, hope all you people with spare rooms are going to offer your home.

A private jet that can carry 200 people is taking the place of a cargo plane that can carry 600 people. That's 400 lives that could have been saved.
How are they going to walk all there animals past those desperate people without feeling any shame?

@Cherrypies

Yep, hope all you people with spare rooms are going to offer your home.

I think the first step is not blocking takeoff/landing slots for planes bringing out the priorities.

@JaniieJones

'The plane is a private one and not funded by taxpayers. He is not filling a plane with animals that would otherwise be full of people. He is putting his staff and their families onboard, then opening up the rest of the seats to people eligible to leave. The animals are going in the hold,'

And they all lived happily ever after?

Resources on the ground are scarce. People to you know load these animals, to process them etc, all scarce. Resources and personnel all under pressure.

Some of you seem to think they'll appear by magic in an empty organised airport, helpful staff just waiting to load cats and dogs whilst ignoring the crush of desperate people outside. Cloud cuckoo land.

Once again, who delayed, went on hols, baby announcements, photo shoots in Cornwall.... i will not disagree with President Biden on anything at all...

Only trying to call Biden after Kabul had fallen.

Never has "asleep on the job" been more apt.

@Cherrypies

Yep, hope all you people with spare rooms are going to offer your home.

To these particular workers and vets, who Pen has already said will be supported by the funds he has raised until they are able to work in the UK vet industry? I think they'll be alright without my spare room.

@ancientgran
Why are pregnant, educated women not a priority?

@Iamclaracowbell

The reality is none of us know what is actually happening on the ground there, whether the people in the crush at the gates have visas, whether they could get on a plane or not, whether the airport is at full capacity, whether flights are leaving empty or full. Pen Farthing doesn't know that either - so really all he can do is try and get his people and animals out the best way he knows how.

I think it was Sky news yesterday that interviewed a man whose family all had the correct paperwork but couldn't get through the crowd to get into the airport. Unless you think Sky were doing a spoof I think that is something we can know.

Pen Farthing's wife left on a nearly empty plane and the explanation was they were going to miss their take off slot so couldn't wait. Again that was information from inside the airport.