After a lengthy process that involved a COVID-19 screening and a 13-hour flight, Roo, a dog rescued in Afghanistan, was placed in the care of Farmington resident Anne Marie McCarthy at Los Angeles International Airport in 2020.

Roo was flown in by the nonprofit Nowzad, after being rescued as a puppy by founder and former Royal Marine Sgt. Pen Farthing.

Starting in 2007, Nowzad aimed to keep Royal Marines and the strays they grew close to together during occupation in Afghanistan. The story began after Farthing became close to a dog that was being used for organized dog fighting.

Now, the organization works to relocate animals and people in war-torn countries such as Afghanistan and Ukraine.

McCarthy spoke to the challenges Nowzad workers face in foreign lands, such as the deaths of animals after a tear gas attack and the Taliban’s restriction on women working.

Farthing discovered Roo under a table on the streets of Kabul. What appeared to be a front right leg deformity was really an underlying hip condition.

An amputation was the best option for Roo. When she hit maturity as a 1-year-old, she underwent the surgery and was placed on the Nowzad adoption list.

Having previously adopted a dog from the international organization, McCarthy said she was eager to secure a home for Roo in San Juan County.

McCarthy said she did not grow up with animals because her mother was dedicated to a neat house. As an adult, McCarthy has dedicated time and space to rescuing cats and dogs.

Her first cat was rescued from a brush fire at the upper Fruitland Chapter House.

“It was a several-acre fire, and all of a sudden we hear this pitiful meow and we found her,” she said.

She now has three dogs and one cat.

Jeeves was the first dog she adopted dog from Nowzad, after receiving an email about his listing in 2016, McCarthy said.

The cost to transport a dog was $4,000, but thanks to a Nowzad trustee, the costs were covered, and in 2017, McCarthy and her son drove to California to pick up Jeeves.

Jeeves was full of energy, sleeping most the day during the car ride but staying awake at night because of the time change.

Initially when Jeeves arrived, he suffered from night terrors. When McCarthy returns home, no matter how long she’s been out of the house, Jeeves will follow her around for some time.

“Even if I go out to the garage to throw in some laundry, he gets this worried look like ‘Where are you going?’” she said.

Jeeves had a broken leg before his adoption.

Roo was transported from Kabul to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, for a few hours then flown to a pet hotel in Amsterdam. She received care there before making the 13-hour flight to the U.S.

There was a wait for Roo’s health paperwork, but once it was time to meet each other, McCarthy said it was a joyous moment.

With three legs, Roo would occasionally whimper because of phantom pain. Now she sees a veterinarian once a year with the only instruction to keep her weight regulated.

“She’s got good muscle development in the other upper front leg,” McCarthy said.

Roo got her name from the kangaroo-like jump she has when walking. When she runs, there is a nice stride with no indication of the missing leg.

Those who may question McCarthy’s decision to adopt from overseas, rather than locally, will be met with the tales of the many animals she has brought into her home from the San Juan County over the years.

As a veteran herself, she said Nowzad’s military influenced her support.

“I’m a real sucker for critters,” she said.