PLEASE HELP HOWARD

Howard's story as told by his soldier: 

Those who have met me will know I'm a bit of a softy when it comes to animals.  Having just recently lost my dog after 15 years I was devastated, made worse by the fact that I was away.

I am currently working in Afghanistan in the military and the base that I am staying at has a number of cats that hang around the cookhouse. Periodically, these cats are trapped and later destroyed but some, sadly, face a far worse fate.

Four years ago, whilst stationed in Cyprus, I found an abandoned feral kitten that I had no luck re-homing so I ended up taking her myself. At the time I remember being worried that my dog wouldn't accept the kitten and I was pleasantly surprised when they seemed to get on. Bizarrely my dog did chase her on a daily basis but they were good friends.  Now that my dog has gone my cat does look for him daily which is very sad.

4 weeks ago another cat took up residence near the cookhouse and I named him ‘Howard'. My old unit, 'The Green Howard's’, is disbanding this month after 325 years, so Howard seemed appropriate at the time.

Howard is a young playful black cat who, like all the other cats here, is only trying to survive.  Afghanistan can be quite a harsh place to live if you’re a human let alone an animal, rumors were circulating that another cull was planned in the near future and although I can't save them all, I want to try and give Howard a chance.

Without the exceptional support of charity organisations like Nowzad cats like Howard wouldn't stand a chance.  Funded solely through donations, what they do is absolutely fantastic and can at times be dangerous given the security implications here.

I would like to give Howard a new home and hopefully fly him back to the UK with all the necessary checks.  To repatriate a cat back to the UK costs in the region of £2000+, a lot of money for a cat some might think. Money need not be the difference between life and death for Howard and with your help, he can make it home to the UK. 

I will be donating a healthy sum but I do need your help desperately!   Make a difference, not for me but for Howard who is just trying to survive. Donating £1, £5 or £10 (or Dollar equivalence) will secure the Howard's future and give him a good home.

I return home after 8 months deployed; my experience in Afghanistan has been quite sad at times and although work wise I have found it rewarding, bringing Howard home would be a wish come true.

Please help and give generously.

Alan (British Soldier)

Question: How is the money I donate spent? How do I know it is used to help an Afghan stray companion animal? Can my donation go towards a specific animal?

Answer from Nowzad: As a charity we are bound by the strict auditing regulations demanded by the UK charity commission. The board of trustees make sure the money is used to maximum effect in making a difference to the lives of animals in Afghanistan, which includes the daily running costs of the Nowzad Afghan shelter, rescue transport costs, animal food and medicines (including vaccines) and of course our Afghan staff wages. If, for whatever reason the companion animal rescue is not successful (disease or injury) then Nowzad will use the money collected on this page to support the daily running of the Nowzad shelter – if you are not happy with our policy then please do not donate as we are unable to offer refunds. For supporters in the US Donating via JG is not tax deductible. Please visit the Soldiers’ Animals Companion Fund www.sacfund.com if you wish to make a tax-deductible donation from the US. If you have any further questions about how to donate then please just ask at donations@nowzad.com

Nowzad Dogs is a registered charity (non-profit) 1119185 in England and Wales.

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