Pen Farthing was told he would have to leave the animals in the country as people are being prioritised (Picture: AP)An animal rescue charity may be able to fly hundreds of cats and dogs out of Afghanistan after all following a change in tone by the defence secretary.

As demand for pets grew with people forced to spend more time at home during the pandemic, the cost of dogs and cats rose sharply, and soon organised crime groups were coordinating pet thefts to exploit the inflated prices.