Woman Adopts Dog Who Inspired Her to Start Animal Rescue (Exclusive)

• Cayleigh Aslanian first heard about Kabul Small Animal Rescue in Afghanistan through Facebook in 2021
• Jumper was one of more than 300 pets that the rescue, founded by Charlotte Maxwell-Jones, transported to the United States in 2024 to find homes.
• Aslanian adopted Jumper in June; the dog was one of the canines featured in the 2021 story that drew Aslanian to KSAR

Three years ago, Cayleigh Aslanian of Denville, New Jersey, was scrolling through her Facebook feed when she saw a post that stopped her in her tracks.

It was August 2021, and 10,700 kilometers away, the Afghan capital, Kabul, had fallen to the Taliban. Within two weeks, thousands of people, including foreign diplomats, military personnel and vulnerable Afghans, had been evacuated from the city’s airport.

Kabul Small Animal Rescue (KSAR), led by American Charlotte Maxwell-Jones, was on the scene trying to airlift dozens of dogs and cats out before the U.S. troops left. Some of the animals were pets of the evacuated Americans, others were retired working dogs, and still others were KSAR residents.

That effort failed and the animals were released into the airport as it emptied, turning once-loved and rescued animals into frightened strays.

One of them was a beautiful dog named Jumper, who had an ivory-colored coat and a freckled face. Aslanian didn’t know it yet, but their paths would cross one day.

“It really broke my heart to see all these dogs that were ready to fly to their future homes now running around the airport,” Aslanian tells PEOPLE. Fortunately, many of the released animals, including Jumper, were eventually recovered.

Aslanian began following the rescue closely and becoming an avid supporter. She sent donations when she could, created an annual fundraiser for the rescue’s anniversary, and continually shared posts from the rescue to increase its visibility.

Back in Kabul, Maxwell-Jones continued her efforts with KSAR, which she founded in 2018. The Tennessean had landed in Afghanistan nearly a decade earlier to complete her doctoral dissertation research in archaeology. Seeing the country’s dire need for animal protection, she created KSAR.

Maxwell-Jones never intended to run an animal shelter, though she believes her personality makes her uniquely suited for the job. “I think I’ve been stubborn since I was a kid,” she says. “There aren’t many people who could do my job or would want to do it. I never stop. I don’t sleep, and I have a lot of negotiations with the government where I don’t give in at all.”

Their efforts help both animals and humans. The shelter employs 92 full-time community staff, including five veterinarians. KSAR is funded almost entirely by personal donations and is a completely free clinic, not charging for any veterinary or rescue work.

Running an animal shelter in Afghanistan is not easy. “There is a massive food shortage and people are hungry,” says Maxwell-Jones. “Animals are generally considered inhabitants of the city, but treated more as pests than companions. But the Afghan people are very generous. When you ask for help, you really get it,” she says.

Maxwell-Jones enlisted a lot of help this spring: She, her team and more than a dozen temporary employees embarked on a herculean effort to bring some of the shelter’s feline and canine residents to the United States for new homes. In early June, a chartered airlift with 300 lucky animals arrived in Washington, D.C. After landing, the animals were flown to Maine and California for adoption or shelter placement.

Jumper was one of 300 pets transported. Like when Aslanian heard about KSAR’s work and knew she had to help, the New Jersey woman immediately connected with Jumper.

“I was scrolling through social media one morning in March,” Aslanian says, “and someone was talking about how Jumper was the longest-standing resident at the shelter and how much she loved cats. I said to my fiancé Kyle (Brennan), ‘Oh my gosh, she’s perfect for us.’” Aslanian and Brennan messaged KSAR to express their interest in adopting Jumper before the transport. On June 5, after Jumper’s international trip, the dog joined the couple’s home, which includes two cats.

Since then, “she really does everything we do together,” Aslanian says. “She’s a very calm dog, especially after what she’s been through. And she’s super friendly. Everyone she meets adores her. She puts her head in your lap and asks for petting.”

Jumper’s new life consists of outdoor jaunts and naps in her dog bed while Aslanian and Brennan work in their home offices. Once uninterested in toys, “she’s now obsessed with a fluffy hedgehog we got her,” Aslanian says. Jumper has met both sets of “grandparents,” as Aslanian calls them, “and she’s making my dad regret getting a dog, too.”

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Jumper also enjoys going to a hot dog restaurant in town. She has visited breweries, listened to live music and taken boat rides to the Jersey Shore.

“We’re very grateful to have her,” Aslanian says. “She’s really our third wheel now, and we love it.”