following up on the comments regarding the ISSUE of making judgements (the ones we make public, and the personal ones that we keep for ourselves)
everyone makes judgements about everything, each and every day. this is how we practice and define our values and morals. the question becomes, how much careful thought, how much knowledge is behind the judgements we make. how many times do we all hear simplistic and inaccurate statements regarding the trouble in the middle east and the obvious and simple (to some) solutions? the same is true for global poverty and genocide among third world nations. everyone has an opinion on the devastation of AIDS in africa and over the last 3o years some of those helpful opinions have had quite profound and negative results.
i believe we are free to make judgements where the consequences of our actions (or inactions) fall directly to ourselves. then the only one who will pay the price for any mistakes we make in those judgements will be the one who decided to act (or not) in a certain way.
but if we are going to start effecting the rest of the world, be it other humans or animals at risk, we better make sure that not only are our judgements correct but we must be prepared to follow thru to the end. it really was not all that helpful to animals being killed by the thousands in gas chambers across the states to lose a single good rescue. ellen certainly has not stepped in to take those at risk animals that the rescue no longer accepts, but ellen did not think about that.
i have no problem with opinions that differ from one end of the football field to the other as long as someone isn't unnecessarily dying or suffering because of a difference of opinion or an argument on the internet. i think we need to be careful and cognizant of the results of the PUBLIC judgements we make. yes there are rescues that i prefer to have animals avoid but you will never get me to say which. all i can is to educate the callers as i turn their animal away on what to reasonably look for as they continue their search for a solution as to where to abandon their pet.
and i will truthfully tell you, that is not just about the physical care that the animal will receive..it is about the ability of the rescue group to circumvent the pitfalls of decision making too. i will suggest they speak to different vets, that they call the spca, that they check with the animal controls about who they would recommend. it is not my job to pronounce to others the fitness of one group or another to adequately complete the task, and there are very few current rescues lately that i have had the opportunity to personally visit and decide for myself if i am comfortable with the way they practice their craft.
as with the celtic rescue back east, you cannot blindly believe what we all portray on our websites...the reality could be much different because no one is going to post pictures of starving and sick animals, living in filthy cages and say "this is what we do." we are not going to tell you if the pounds and spca's refuse to work with us either.... or if we do, we are going to tell you that they are at fault and not doing their job very well because we are the best that there is.
it all comes down to education, building the knowledge to make the decisions we make. it is not a "say whatever you feel like" session with our decisions consequence-free.
ripples in the pond can be killers, to both those who speak unthinkingly but especially to those who can't speak at all.
this would be a good thing to keep in the back of our minds when we make public vs personal judgements.
Great post, Carol!!! You are very right about this. I think the most important point you made was "Be prepared to follow through." For instance if any of us were ever responsible for forcing a rescue to close its doors for whatever reasons we deemed necessary it is IMPERATIVE that WE take the responsibility for all the lives now at loose ends. Nothing like that should ever be undertaken lightly...we must always be prepared to step up to the plate and not just cast aspersions and decry someone else's efforts.
Also, people who are looking for help with their animals should take the time to educate themselves. It boggles my mind when people who are otherwise quite sensible drop their animals off at a place which they have never even visited or checked out.