i think the biggest challenge in rescue is...
Carol · Mar 29, 2012
the road blocks we construct around the animals we rescue.
"we rescued this xxx (dog, cat, horse, pig...insert pretty much any animal type here)...but now we find the animal has xxx (insert...diabetes, hip dysplagia, cardiac disease, dental disease, incontinence issues, bites, doesn't like cats,...or any other type of imperfection...) and we don't have the xxxx (insert resources, foster homes, mandate...whatever) to deal with that.
no one in rescue wants to kill an animal because it has problems. but we don't want to keep the animal and deal with his or her issues either. so we look for the fairy tale warm and fuzzy ending of passing the animal along to someone who can deal with whatever the issues are.
the difference between those that can't and won't and those who can and will...is roadblocks.
rescue is absolutely chocked full of roadblocks...and we construct most of them ourselves.
i could teach a five year old how to deal with chronic incontinence..pick room, rip out the carpet, lay down some lino and buy a bucket and mop.
i could teach a 10 yr old how to deal with dog that doesn't like cats...pick a room and close the door between the dog and the cat and keep them away from each other.
i could teach a twelve year old how to manage most medical conditions simply by following the vets medical treatment plans and advice.
and i could teach a 15 year old rescuer how to raise enough funds to pay for the vet care of a sick animal.
and i could teach pretty much teach anyone how to put on a muzzle before pushing the button that triggers a particular dog to snap or bite.
are any of these things ideal? easy? fun?..of course not...but every single one of them works and every single one is a road block that has been removed.
there is a reality in rescue...take in enough animals and at some point you are going to get stuck with some of them cuz NO ONE else is going to want them. so ask yourself..what is your plan for when this happens? will you step up to the plate and take care of them for the rest of their lives? or will you hope to pass them on to someone else who can de-construct roadblocks better than you? or will you actually rescue and then give up and nuke them because caring for them is too difficult?
i am not saying that every animal can and should be saved but i do believe that once in rescue...the ones that can be...should be given every single opportunity to have the roadblocks removed before we pack them in and call it a day.
dawn..rescue remedy is available at any health food store.
bunny..the open house dates are june 23/24 (or whatever that sat and sunday are..i don't hve the calender in front of me)
laura..yes i can hear the actual alarms..they are ear blasting. but that wasn't a fire alarm, it was a signal that there was a problem with 2 of the alarm zones (like a low battery) so all i heard was the chime going off repeatedly and i got up and checked that each building was fine and then reset the main house.
the company shouldn't have been calling the fire dept anyway cuz the alarms weren't actually going off saying there was a fire..they were just signalling a malfunction within the alarms themselves.
i will try to get one of the techs out to check them out but it will probably be difficult with me currently fighting over that refund with them.