THE Afghan war dog who was rescued from a dog fighting ring by a former Royal Marine from Tiverton and inspired an internationally acclaimed animal welfare charity, has died.
Over the past six years, since Pen Farthing, a 43-year-old former Troop Sergeant returned from Afghanistan, Nowzad Dogs has re-homed about 700 stray dogs with the soldiers they gave vital solace and escapism to, enabling them to cope with war.
The charity, which has a rescue centre in Kabul, is also responsible for a crucial vaccination and neutering programme benefiting the Afghan citizens.
The charity's success is the legacy of Nowzad, who has now died aged around 12 years old, after a recent spell of pancreatitis and enduring arthritus.
"Without Nowzad there would be no organisation at all to try and tackle animal welfare in Afghanistan, and 700 soldiers wouldn't have been reunited with the companions they were with on the front lines," said Pen who admitted he is "heartbroken" at his companion's loss. "He was the catalyst for it all," he continued. "We were mortared and shot at together – there aren't many dogs you can say that about!
"He was always his own free spirit, but he was always an Afghan dog first and foremost, which are very territorial, due to the harsh environment he was born into – that never went.
"But from the second he came to his new home, he became a house dog. He completely mellowed out, and anyone who'd visit, he'd want to be made a fuss of – he went from being the Mike Tyson of the dog world to George Foreman!"
Pen has recently been selected as one of 40 CNN Heroes out of thousands of entries – a testament to his and his staff's dedication. Pen's third book, Wylie – the dog that never gave up, is released this month.
