The last year did not have to be like it was. Operation Ark was meant to be a glimmer of hope from the chaos and turmoil of the western worlds complete and utter failure of the Afghan people.

Surely we should have been celebrating the successful evacuation of 67 Afghan nationals; including pregnant women and extremely young children who now had the opportunity for new lives in the United Kingdom free from oppression, along with the 94 dogs and 68 cats of the Nowzad clinic?

When we asked for donations of food and medical supplies to support the animal shelters in Ukraine caught up in Putin’s horrific and illegal invasion we had no idea of the amazing response we would receive.

For a while we were, to put it mildly, overwhelmed.  

Within weeks of the appeal launching we had enough supplies for several large lorries to be loaded and sent on their way to Poland.

Nowzad as a charity, was born from a Royal Marine serving in Afghanistan who bridged the gap between the soldiers serving their country and the desperate plights of the innocent animals found amongst the horror and chaos.