Back in 2006, Pen Farthing was serving in Afghanistan with the British Royal Marine Commandos. It was during a regular patrol in the town of Nowzad, Helmand Province that he says he was "adopted" by a dog when the soldiers broke up a dogfight. The Marines called him "Nowzad", after the town he was found in.
Now with the dog safely back in England, Pen is back in Afghanistan running a shelter of the same name in Kabul. The team are trying to change attitudes in a country where dogs and other animals are often seen as dirty and solely associated with diseases like rabies.
The "Nowzad" shelter continues to help soldiers bring their frontline canine companions home and recently also started sending dogs back to the United States, helping troops suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD.