There are days I really just want to walk away. Last night / today is one of them. Why is it that society feels it is ok to treat an animal like an accessory, treat it like crap, screw it up in the head and then when it doesn't perform the way they want it to, they can't figure out why and DUMP IT. Then I am the one that gets "guilt trip" emails from people who don't even live ANYWHERE NEAR ME. And I am stuck feeling like a piece of shit because I am not able to help an animal who is put to sleep or because I am now stuck working for weeks, months a year with a dog that is so backwards there are days I shake my head and say "Am I doing the right thing?"
I just don't understand where people get the right to email me about how disappointed they are in ME because they sent me an email about dogs in need and I didn't help any. Yea, ok lady because I just decided that those dogs should die. No, it is because I am only one freaking person with 20 dogs living at my house and NO MONEY!
I actually got two emails like that yesterday. And the one lady who emailed me when I replied back that I was aware of the dogs in need but unfortunately did not have room for them right now. She responded back that she was from California so there wasn't anything she could do. WTF! Are you kidding me? Oh I was so mad when I read that I just deleted her email back to me. UGH!
The one lady that sent the message of how disappointed she was sent it to several rescue people, I didn't reply all to her when I responded but I just told her it isn't a matter of not caring it is a matter of time, space, money and sanity. A few of the other rescue people were not as nice. One told her she needs to learn some rescue manners and until she has 25 dogs living in her house she needs to not tell all of us how disappointed she is... The email was VERY to the point and honestly nothing she said wasn't true.
THEN to add to my day, I am sick and tired of people adopting a dog and NOT LISTENING or wanting to put forth effort. I mean come on, when you have a baby if you decided AFTER the fact it is too much work TOUGH SHIT! you work through it, you get help, you deal with it. But oh no if the dog is too much work just send it back. IT ISN'T A CAR THAT YOU CAN JUST DECIDED TO TRADE IN!!!
Then I love the fact people try to make me feel bad that they are returning the dog.
I tell people absolutely everything that I know about the dog, good or bad and they always say OK. I tell them if you have any issues call me and I will walk you through what you need to do. Do they call NOPE!
They wait until it builds up to the point of frustration and call me like it is some sort of emergency saying they are bringing the dog back RIGHT NOW! Really? You are? Well great and were would you like me to put the dog in my pocket? Because that is the only place I have left!
I ask them if they want some tips on how to work through whatever the FIXABLE issue is and they always give me all these excuses of how they can't take the time. "I work full time" REALLY? Oh that must suck, I don't work full time I sit around all day and eat bon bons. "I just don't have that kinda of time to commit to the dog." OH so that is the real reason, you got a dog and realized how much work it is and now you don't want it so you are coming up with excuses as to why you need to bring the dog back. OH OK, now I see the real reason.
I do not, DO NOT give anyone their money back unless I feel it is my fault.. for example, I said the dog is great with cats and the dog chases cats. Then that is my fault and I will take full responsibility. But I am not giving you back your adoption fee because you are too lazy to work through a fixable issue with a dog and / or because you decided having a dog is a bad idea.
I am just at my witts end.
I have all these dogs that are dieing in shelters that I can't help but that I want to help, I have a house full of dogs that may not be adoptable but what am I supposed to do? They aren't aggressive they are just backwards because some asshole did it to them. I guess they are going to live at my house forever not getting the attention they need because there are too freaking many of them. I say in my head maybe I should just put them to sleep, no one is going to want to deal with this issue or that issue but I can't bring myself to do it. The dogs have so many good qualities, it is just their issue is a BIG issue. Or not really big just annoying as hell and hard to fix. Probably fixable but I don't have the time when I have so many that need fixed.
And then I have dogs that are returned for the stupidest reasons EVER and the people are totally unwilling to work with the dog.
You know what GET A CAT!
9 comments:
It is ok, you have not failed..you are cleaning up after other assholes who have failed. A commitment is a commitment is a commitment. Commitment is something you understand, they don't. As for the people who emailed you and were disappointed in you, I have two words for them and they involve sex and travel..that's right ...eff off. Until you are part of the solution, you are part of the problem. How dare they have the umitigated gall to criticize someone who is doing all she can when they are sitting on their fat, useless asses thinking that sending an email is rescuing an animal. When they go to the pound, get the animal, get it vetted and find it a permanent home, then they can consider themselves helping. Otherwise, shut your trap.....you are no help, you are hyper-critical and useless, just plain useless.
Chin up Amy! I think you do a pretty good job. Regal is still adorable.
These people are idiots, pure and simple - they are also irresponsible fools who will do everything but take responsibility for THEIR screw ups- it always has to be someone else's fault. I've been working and volunteering with both a GSD rescue and a humane society for years now and come across the same issues as you describe here again and again. I have three dogs with issues myself (all rescues I ended up keeping as no one else would take them) and yeah, 4 cats as well. Believe me, people are even more careless and uncaring about cats - cats really are the ultimate disposable commodity.
Hang in - one thing I try to tell myself is for all the jerks there are good people too
and frankly, I would have emilaed that B back and told her EXACTLY what I thought of her.
To anyone who has adopted a dog that they didn't think was fixable: I adopted Vera from you almost 3 years ago. About a year after I got her she got such severe separation anxiety that I didn't think I could manage it--she was so anxious she was slowly but surely destroying my house. The vet said it would never improve and I just needed to figure out how to live with it. But she was my baby and I could never give up on her. After a year of lots of coddling, experimenting with different solutions, medication (which broke my heart), etc, etc, she is now off the medication and almost 100% over the separation anxiety. She is better behaved than ever, and this is coming from someone who was and still is far from a dog behavior expert.
It did take alot of effort, commitment and love, but what the vet said wasn't fixable is almost 100% fixed. So, with patience, commitment, effort and love....I now believe almost anything can be fixed--if you believe you will figure out a way that it can be and will be.
To those who think their dogs issues aren't fixable, stick with it. I truly believe your dog will sense that he/she can trust you, that you aren't going anywhere and that you love him/her--and that is half the battle. It takes time but it is worth it in the long run!
Yo did not fail! You are doing a wonderful job. One dog at a time will make a world of difference. I do alot of search and rescue for lost dogs. It kills me to see how many dogs go missing because their adoptive families bring them out without a leash in the first 24 hrs and then they bolt.
Thank You for doing what you!
I hope you know that there are those of us who DO commit to our animals, and help in any way we can. I transport nearly every weekend to help dogs get from kill shelters to rescues that have space. We have 4 dogs and 14 cats (NOBODY WANTS THEM!) as it is now. I do my best to try and help educate people I meet when I'm out with our dogs, and I donate what money I can to good rescues. Please ignore those idiot naysayers who aren't doing a damned thing to help beyond sending emails once in a while.
Huh? Don't send these people to ME! We cat rescuer's don't want these people either. Believe me. We have our share of bullshit and returns too.
-Beth
Honestly, I do not envy people who do cat rescue. There are way way too many cats...
Hey Dog Rescuer
My owner wants to say she is on your side. I am a collie cross with nervous aggression issues with both people and other dogs. My owner has had me since I was 8 months, I started off with separation anxiety and then it turned into something else. My owner has had loads of different trainers but none of them properly diagnosed my problems. She says if we added up all the money she's spent she could have bought a house with it. A while back my owner was on her knees feeling she couldn't go on with me. I'm 10 yrs old now, it's a long time of dealing with being scared every time she took me out and having to shut me away any time we had a visitor (which wasn't often). But the vet helped us to find a new trainer who is great and gradually we are finally getting to grips with my issues. My owner wants everyone to know how much work dogs are and that you have to commit, no matter how long it takes, and it is rarely the dog's fault, we have a great habit of confusing them. My owner is keeping a blog of her experiences and hopes that other owners with problem dogs will read it and stay hopeful.
Keep up the good work. Sonny
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