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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

This Pen Farthing guy

999 replies

TheGenealogist · 25/08/2021 10:54

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. Hmm 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?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
8
Handsoffstrikesagain · 25/08/2021 17:25

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at the poster's request.

PinkSparklyPussyCat · 25/08/2021 17:26

How many times does it need to be said. His plane is taking up valuable slots that could be used for planes carrying 600 humans. Or empty planes landing that can carry that many. It's been said many times. Have you not read the thread?

I've read the thread and I still disagree with you. Personally I was more than happy to donate to Nowzad both in the past and now to help them get out and I'll continue to do so if they start up elsewhere.

XenoBitch · 25/08/2021 17:27

@FloFloFloFloFlo

Honestly, I’m sick of the drama of some people. We aren’t talking about a load of dogs sitting in first class of a plane, whilst babies starve.

This is a privately funded plane which will take men, women and children who have visas (with room for others) with animals in the hold. Do some people not realise people can’t travel in aircraft holds?

Did anyone kick up a fuss about the bloody armoured car in a plane recently? Or is it just dogs getting saved that offends you?

I really am not seeing a problem here.

This!

If the animals don't go, it does not mean humans will take their place.
Empty planes have left there, as has planes with cars on.

chaosrabbitland · 25/08/2021 17:27

@DancesWithTortoises

why should they be left behind to god knows what fate just because you dont think they are worthy ?

Because they don't matter as much as babies and children. That's a fact. I'd rather the pets died on the streets than the babies.

its only your opinion that they dont matter as much . and thats a fact , other people feel much differently about animals , and babies arent going to be dying on the sodding streets , they have their parents , the taliban arent killing babies that iv heard , the animals it will be a different story , they are more at risk of dying or being killed and need saving just as much as the people do
FloFloFloFloFlo · 25/08/2021 17:28

Where is the evidence that the plane is taking up a ‘valuable slot’? Some planes are going out half empty.

cricketmum84 · 25/08/2021 17:29

@NamechangeApril21

You're a deeply unpleasant person OP.
I'm 100% with you on this.
chaosrabbitland · 25/08/2021 17:30

@PinkSparklyPussyCat

How many times does it need to be said. His plane is taking up valuable slots that could be used for planes carrying 600 humans. Or empty planes landing that can carry that many. It's been said many times. Have you not read the thread?

I've read the thread and I still disagree with you. Personally I was more than happy to donate to Nowzad both in the past and now to help them get out and I'll continue to do so if they start up elsewhere.

me too pink , id never heard of nowzad until all this , but i will donate to them and i will offer to adopt a cat if there are any avaliable , on the website there were quite a few needing homes , im praying he is able to get all of them over as well as all the lovely dogs
Gilmorehill · 25/08/2021 17:33

@XenoBitch excellent point about the car. I didn’t see any outrage over that.

SueSaid · 25/08/2021 17:34

'Honestly, I’m sick of the drama of some people. We aren’t talking about a load of dogs sitting in first class of a plane, whilst babies starve.'

Oh poor you, sick of the drama! Confused.

If he'd brought 10 dogs back that'd be bad enough but 200 fgs. Kabul will have stray dogs long after he has gone. This is all a self serving dangerous stunt. Surely, surely getting his 68 staff out safely should have been his priority without the circus of loads of dog and cat crates.

All the attention he has generated with his publicity and demands for a plane for his pets can't be good in that volatile situation. If the taliban hadn't heard much about him before, they have now.

toomuchlaundry · 25/08/2021 17:35

Are all other planes taking 600 people?

PrincessNutNuts · 25/08/2021 17:37

It hurts no one if Pen Farthing departs with his staff, their families, the animals and however many extra people they can cram in.

There now seems to be a smear campaign against Pen Farthing for some reason.

DancesWithTortoises · 25/08/2021 17:37

its only your opinion that they dont matter as much . and thats a fact , other people feel much differently about animals , and babies arent going to be dying on the sodding streets , they have their parents , the taliban arent killing babies that iv heard , the animals it will be a different story , they are more at risk of dying or being killed and need saving just as much as the people do

Not just my opinion, society's opinion. People who think animals are equal to humans are, fortunately, a very small minority. As a society we place human life above animal life and that's just how it is.

No one on this thread wants to see animals suffer but still think humans take priority. That's just how it is.

And some of us don't like to see bullies win.

SwishSwishBisch · 25/08/2021 17:38

I’m assuming the fact that this is an additional flight which means that more people can be airlifted than would have been otherwise means nothing OP?
Is the idea of animals going in the hold so abhorrent to you that you would deny those extra c150 people the opportunity to be rescued??

Classica · 25/08/2021 17:39

and babies arent going to be dying on the sodding streets , they have their parents , the taliban arent killing babies that iv heard , the animals it will be a different story

Christ.

Formaldeheidi · 25/08/2021 17:39

It’s Afghan people not Afgani. Afghani is a unit of currency. At least try to get that right.

He’s arguably doing much more than any government at the moment OP. He’s organised it all himself. All he needs is permission to land the plane. He’s not taking anything away from anybody else.

What are YOU doing to ease the crisis?

SchadenfreudePersonified · 25/08/2021 17:40

Surely, surely getting his 68 staff out safely should have been his priority without the circus of loads of dog and cat crates

Perhaps his staff don't want to go without the animals they have rescued and formed relationships with.

Saucery · 25/08/2021 17:41

@PrincessNutNuts

It hurts no one if Pen Farthing departs with his staff, their families, the animals and however many extra people they can cram in.

There now seems to be a smear campaign against Pen Farthing for some reason.

There does indeed. “Bully…..grandstanding…..wants to be in a film…..stupid nickname…..”

It’s quite bizarre, the amount of vitriol he is attracting, when the corruption and unexplained rescue of inanimate objects is hardly mentioned, or explained away. Normally rational posters even want people stuffed in cargo holds where it would be extremely dangerous. Insane.

PinkSparklyPussyCat · 25/08/2021 17:42

@chaosrabbitland I wish I could adopt a cat but I don't think my elderly boy would like it! I'd be happy to sponsor one until it found a home if that was an option though

HarrietPierce · 25/08/2021 17:42

"So why doesn't he ask Norway permission seeing as that is where his wife is, you'd think he would want to be with her"

His wife is going to join him in the UK.

Plumtree391 · 25/08/2021 17:44

Presumably the staff working for the charity will have received clearance to leave Afghanistan and they would be the ones loading up the crates of animals into the hold - where no humans are allowed to stay during flight.

In that case, nobody has done anybody out of a seat on a plane. It actually means more people getting out of the place than would otherwise.

BewareTheLibrarians · 25/08/2021 17:44

@JaniieJones
No, not one person has mentioned refugees.

Really? These comments are from OP’s 2nd and 3rd posts respectively.

“is understandable if they are at more risk of persecution than any other Afghani. But are they?”

“And HOW has he managed, in a week, to arrange jobs for 60 odd asylum seekers with no right to work in the UK until their cases are decided?”

Seems like the OP at least was worried about more than the animals.

Hoppinggreen · 25/08/2021 17:44

@PrincessNutNuts

It hurts no one if Pen Farthing departs with his staff, their families, the animals and however many extra people they can cram in.

There now seems to be a smear campaign against Pen Farthing for some reason.

He’s embarrassed the Government, that’s reason enough for the Right Wing press
Parker231 · 25/08/2021 17:45

I’ve donated and used Twitter to bring the issue to the attention of everyone I could think of. The government could give up space on a flight for a car, they can put themselves out to save Pen, his staff and animals. It’s not going to cost the U.K. taxpayers.

Arrangements have been made of the animals when they arrive in the U.K. and the Afghan staff have all been offered jobs/training in the veterinary industry.
The U.K. government have now reversed their refusal to help so hopefully it’s only a matter of time before they can get to the U.K. safely.

SueSaid · 25/08/2021 17:46

'It’s quite bizarre, the amount of vitriol he is attracting,'

You do know the taliban are brutally murdering people don't you, so if you were in Afganistan with 68 Afghan staff wouldn't you think the best plan is fo get out as quietly as you can without the Twitter circus?

He is making them all targets with their constant attention seeking over dogs and cats. It is highly unstable over there, do you watch the news?

Formaldeheidi · 25/08/2021 17:47

I just hope to god this country never reaches the depths of hell that Afghanistan is in now because most of the posters on here (and indeed the entire population) have absolutely no idea how what a truly horrific situation is unfolding. I pray so hard that British people will always be able to carry on living in ignorance, posting pointless uninformed and ill educated posts like this. And I don’t even believe in god.

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