MIDDLETOWN, R.I. (WPRI) — Potter League for Animals welcomed four rescue dogs from Afghanistan to Rhode Island Thursday afternoon.

The four dogs (Linus, Tope, Diesel, and Zeus) were found on the streets of Kabul, Afghanistan and will soon be adopted out to families here.

Linus, a female mix has been living in the Kabul shelter for the last 6-years, and it’s estimated she is 8-years old.

She is joined by three male dogs. Diesel a one-year-old. Tope (Dari for “ball”) is four-years-old. And Zeus is six-years-old.

  • This is Diesel and he is 1 year old.
  • Say hello to Linus, she is roughly 8 years old.
  • This handsome boy is Tope (which we are told is “ball” in Dari) and he is 4 years old.
  • Meet Zeus, he is 6 years old.

The dogs were flown into New York earlier Thursday and were transported directly to Middletown, Rhode Island.

The dogs arrived full of energy after making the journey of over 6,700 miles from the Middle East to Southern New England.

“It feels great to help dogs that might not have had a chance if they would have stayed where they were,” said Potter League Executive Director Brad Shear.

In a statement from Potter League for Animals, “Now we are able to help in yet another way, bringing dogs to Newport where they can find great new homes.”

The Middletown-based animal shelter partnered with Nowzad Charity in 2017. The charity, founded by Sgt. Pen Farthing, made it his mission to reunite soldier with their “battle buddies”.

Since 2007 the Nowzad Charity has reunited more than 1,200 soldiers with the dogs & cats roaming the streets of Afghanistan.

While these dogs did come to Rhode Island via the Nowzad, these dogs aren’t specifically meant for active duty servicemen/women and veterans.

“These specific dogs will be ready at the earliest the middle of next week,” said Shear. “The goal of our adoption process with all animals is to make a good match between your family and the right animal for you.”

According to Rhode Island State law, the dogs will remain in isolation for five days and will be spayed or neutered, vaccinated and microchipped.

If someone is interested in adopting one of the dogs, Brad Shear says, simply come in.

Negeen Pegahi was in Afghanistan with her husband while he was serving in the Marines. While overseas they took-in a stray cat and looked to Nowzad for help sending it back stateside.