Rescue Journal

ok... time for a couple of rescue reality checks

Carol  ·  Mar. 16, 2014

this not meant to hurt or upset anyone, just to get everyone to think and understand some of the stressors and limitations around here.

money right now is a huge issue. we did not have the bake sale last Nov/Dec and the 1000 SAINTS program is a shambles and will take some time to build it back up.
I am not blaming anyone for anything here, I am simply stating a fact...we have taken a $30,000 financial hit in the past 6 months and that is going to affect how we do business. it's ripples in that damn pond again.

the only real place that we can cut costs here is in animal care (because everything around here that costs money is a direct result of animals that need care!) so that means less animals. so for the first time since we opened, it will be financial resources not actual physical space that determines how many animals we can help. our vet costs alone for last year were $105,000.00. we have a lot of animals here and in foster care and most of them have ongoing health issues that require medical care. we really cannot be taking in new ones unless they are pretty damn desperate and we will only be able to help a very few of them.

today we took in a new baby bunny, one of the volunteers found him being given away for free on craigs list. she was rightly afraid someone would pick him up for snake food and it tormented her. I really appreciate how much the volunteers give to saints so when they are all twisted up about some helpless animal or another..i really do try to help them out.

however...we are entering a new era now..one of real and most likely somewhat painful restraint. so since this little bunny has brought this to my mind, I want to remind everyone that craigs list, kajiji, classifield ads in the papers, the internet, our workplaces, our neighborhoods... are all full of really sad animals getting dumped. and they cannot come here.

we can barely keep up to the animals up for euthanization in the shelters and are now turning those guys away. we certainly cannot go looking for more sad stories that we cannot help.

please stay off of those internet sites where unhappy animals are facing unhappy futures..you will just tear yourself apart and if you tell me about them you will tear me apart too.

there are times that being an ostrich with it's head in the sand, is the only way to survive in rescue.
lets all stick our heads in the sand at least until we have a slightly less bleak financial future.

oh and if folks can spread the word about our monthly donor supporting SAINTS programs either 1000 SAINTS or our animal sponsorships...the accumulations of $25/month from regular donors can add up to a lot of animals saved.
thx.

Comments

May

Carol, agree 100%. Stay off these websites. I don't go on for the very reason you state. They'd break my heart and we'd be over run with beagles that we can't afford. In this case, ignorance is bliss.

Carol

thx lisa..this guy is pretty cute..penny says he is a harlequin/dwarf cross..we will get him neutered and then send you a photo

Lisa

You can always also send us pics of the small animals you have and we can cross promote them.
Sometimes believe it or not, even with 100's we may not have the *one* people are looking for so if you want to send us a pic of the baby bun and the others, we can keep them in mind too if someone is looking for someone like them specifically.

Bridget

if you're doing a bake sale, i'm there for baking, definitely. i'll make anything you'd need or want.

Curt

Off topic. It was nice seeing Tristie be her bitchy self today. Obviously feeling better