A DOG called Rambo is settling into his new Highland home after a charity spent £2,500 rescuing him from the war-torn streets of Afghanistan.
The German Shepherd was abandoned as a puppy in Kabul and faced a horrible death as a fighting dog.
But when Scots bank manager Jane Wilson saw a picture of Rambo on an animal shelter’s website she immediately fell in love with him.
Jane, 40, helped raise the cash needed to bring Rambo on his 5,000-mile trip to his new home in Brora, Sutherland.
It is thought Rambo was abandoned by his owners because he was suffering behavioural problems related to the regular bomb attacks that plague the city.
Many strays fall into the hands of dog fight organisers.
Their Usual practice is to cut off a dog’s ears and tail to mark them as a stray before getting them to fight to the death.
Rambo was lucky enough to be looked after by Kabul charity Nowzad Dogs.
But because of his behavioural problems – constant barking and snapping – Rambo languished in their shelter for more than a year.
Jane, who already looked after ten dogs, spotted Rambo on the charity’s website.
She said: “We saw Rambo and knew we could take on his challenge and so set about bringing him home.”
Rambo had to spend 30 days in quarantine in Afghanistan before he was flown to Edinburgh via Dubai last July.
Jane said: “When he first arrived he was a nervous wreck and would bark at everything.
“But he soon settled in with the other dogs and is now really quite loving with the people he knows.
“He’s still not overly keen on strangers and cars but we’re slowly working to desensitise him and with the progress he’s already made we’re sure he can do it.”
Jane who lives in Brora with partner Martin Dingwall, says Rambo is now truly part of her ten-dog clan.
She said: “We have quite a lot of land so we thought we would put it to good use.
“We honestly hadn’t intended on anymore after number ten but we heard about Nowzad Dogs and the tireless work they do so we decided to make an exception for Rambo.
“I think people often forget about the animals that are in war zones.”
Rambo is coping well with a big change in climate. Temperatures in Kabul can reach a blistering 33 degrees celsius in summer while plummeting to – 8 degrees celsius in January.
Sergeant Pen Farthing, a former US Marine and founder of Nowzad Dogs, said: “For several months Rambo lived out in our back garden in Kabul during the day and slept in our bathroom during the cold nights while we fundraised for his travel to Scotland.
“Jane was amazing in offering Rambo a forever home. And I am led to believe he has fit right in.”
