I don't think people understand the sacrifice and work that goes into rescuing an animal. I mean truly rescuing an animal. Regardless of the animal...horse, cat, dog, ect. When an animal has been so badly abused that it is skin and bones, missing hair, broken bones, sick, ect. The work that goes into the animal, the money that the rescue person spends and the amount of time it takes for the animal to heal not only physically but mentally. I don't think people understand. All they see is the finished product.... the animal healed physically maybe with a few physical scares and mentally way better then when they were rescued but I don't think they understand that it doesn't happen over night. It takes MONTHS! It takes every day coming home from work and running to vet appointments, give the animal medicine, working with the animals for hours. Not eating or sleeping because you don't have time because the animal needs you. When you do finally get a chance to lay down in bed all you think about is that animal and wonder if you are making progress, wonder if whatever illness they have will you be able to figure it out, wonder if they are happy, wonder if in the end after all this work will they be adopted... wonder and worry.
Then comes the day weeks, months maybe even years later where the animal is adopted and you watch them leave out of your driveway looking confused why are these strangers taking me away. You tell them it is going to be ok and you tell them that they will be happy but they don't really understand. You are only saying these words out loud to make yourself feel better.
Technically unless the adopter reaches out to you and tells you they are doing ok you will never really know. And if you reach out to the adopter and see how the animal is doing sometimes they respond, sometimes they don't and as I have found out the hard way sometimes they lie. I have caught 2 people in lies but how many haven't I caught? Then you have the people that although you ask them to stay in touch and they signed a contract they don't. You reach out to them and they are no longer at the address, phone is disconnected, they no longer work at the job they had when they adopted from you. And you wonder.... did something bad happen? Are the people ok? Is the animal ok? You will never know.
3 times now, just this year I have found out that someone gave a dog away and never told me or asked me to take it back. 1 I got back, 1 is missing and 1 I found out where it is but the people are not nice and are suing me.
The one I got back is safe and MICROCHIPPED! So hopefully I didn't fail her this time. The one that is missing.... the story is a bit strange and they won't tell me where they took her. They said the APL but I checked with the APL and they don't have a record. That was a complicated, hard rescue... I rescued Blanche, Rosie and Dorothy... my golden girls from a small shelter where they were left crammed in cat carries covered in fleas and waste. When I got them they hated to be touched, would nip at you out of fear, had horrible teeth, had not a clue what dog food was, what a treat was or what a toy was. Oh and a collar. You would think I was torching them and a leash FORGET ABOUT IT!
Two are happy normal dogs whose owners brag about them all the time. The 3rd supposedly was very well loved but taken to the APL. I don't ever want to say anyone is lying but when I asked why did you just call me I would have taken her back the response was "I don't know you will have to talk to my husband" When I asked exactly what shelter because I checked with the APL the response was "I don't know you will have to talk to my husband" The women was cold and callus like... almost like I was calling to talk to her about the table she purchased from me off Craig's List.
I wonder where did I fail? The year of the adoption everything was great, the following year everything was wonderful, then no return emails or calls and after trying to get a hold of them I get 1/2 answers. Why? Are you lying? Do you think I am a bad person? Did you not want me to take her back like I said I would? Did I not express to you I would take her back? I mean it is in the contract but what am I doing wrong that you didn't return her to me?
I try not to be unreasonable. I have had on more then one occasion where life has gotten in the way of pet ownership. I get it, I really do. The owner of the animal says to me my (for this example) mother would like for Polly to go live with her. I said ok. I will send your mom the contract, no fee of course but have her sign it, send it back and we are all good. Ok, done. I know where the dog is and everyone is happy. I have done this more then once.. heck tried to do it for the people that are suing me but they refused and told me to come get the dog, then I called to make arrangements and they got a lawyer. Granted A LOT of lies have been uncovered since then but still.... not sure why people can't be nice about things.
Again where did I fail?
Some days I wish for just one day I could have these mean people live my life.... deal with my job, deal with my aging parents, deal with all the sick animals I am caring for, deal with all the emails about all the animals that are dieing, abused, neglected, mistreated, and all the emails from the people who want to give way their 9 year old dog because they are moving and don't want him any more. Deal with trying to have a healthy marriage.... marriage alone is a lot of work then add in all the other stuff. Try dealing with being harassed by your neighbor, try to stay connected with your friends so they don't think you have abounded them. Save every penny so you can have things you want but yet have a close family friend try to steal it from you.
All I ask is for those who adopt to just return the dog if they don't want it. Call me if you are having trouble and I will do what I can to help you, which has included buying a $400 specialty crate, paying for training sessions and helping to pay for surgery.
I really do try to help any way I can but starting to really believe the nice guy finishes last.
5 comments:
The nice guys have won before the race even starts.
And yet, you have made a huge difference to so many. I'm with anonymous.
What you do is wonderful, and you should be proud of it. Every dog life you've saved, and every human life you changed because of that is proof.
Animal rescue is a thankless endeavor at times. You go through more vigorous precautions than I do for re-homing animals (unofficially, although I do my best to make good judgments), and I think you haven't failed...in fact, you have gone well above. It's just the nature of the problem. So many people don't view animals as seriously as we do.
Don't give up...your love and light is needed! Thank God for people like you.
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