Rescue Journal

Why?

Carol · May 21, 2019

There are questions I think we all need to ask ourselves when becoming involved in rescue, and we need to be honest in our answers.
I think this is important because there are a lot of "wishful" reasons that are nice to dream about but the reality is a lot harder.
There are also a lot of reasons for becoming involved in rescue...to surrender an animal, to adopt or foster an animal, to provide close personal hands on approach or a more distant but still critical support.

So lets start with the surrendering of an animal, we all want fairy tale endings that leave us some ability to accept that we have passed on our animal to someone else.
1. Are we willing and able to continue to care for this animal?
If the answer is yes, then what is the plan to do this?
If the answer is no then what are our expectations in passing them on? ie..some continued contact?...some involvement in decision making?
2. Are we realistic in our expectations and are these expectations for the animal's true benefit or is it to ease this process for ourselves?
3. Are we willing to practice due diligence to ensure the animal will be forever safe once leaving our care? And are we willing and able to accept and deal with whatever regret, pain or guilt this causes us to feel without blaming or shifting the responsibility for these feelings to others?

Adopting/fostering an animal
1. what level of care are we willing to provide, behavioral, medical? and to what extent?
2. what are our expectations of the animal? Arte our expectations realistic or are they a bit like a happily ever after day dream?
3. what are expectations of the originating rescue in terms of current and ongoing support. Are we willing to adhere to the rescues's expectations as stated during discussions and by abiding by contracts?
4. Do we have a good track record for common sense, effective problem solving, realistic expectations, and responsible pet care? Or do we always seem to do it better in our imaginations then we do in reality?

Becoming involved in actual rescue.

Comments

Bunny Horne

Sadly, as is ever present in the news of today, we do not treat human beings any better. Mankind is one cruel beast. I am shocked at how we treat our world and those other creatures we share the world with. My contributions to other societies and my few hours of volunteer work a month as a weekend warrior are my attempt to make a tiny portion of the world right if even for a few hours. Kindness, companionship, LOVE and caring are temporary at best. It cleanses my soul to spend time with the residents of SAINTS, the other volunteers and of course the amazing founder. I look forward to my volunteer duties because I always leave the site with my heart bursting with good feelings.

Carol Ann

Carol I just wanted to say that little Merry was more like the old happy Merry I used to see. She ate and was demanding more and she hasn't done that for a couple of weeks now.. She seemed to be feeling a lot better. Nice to see that.

Shelley

Sometimes the human species seems like a largely failure experiment. We have big brains that have allowed us to develop skills and technology to control the rest of the planet and her inhabitants, but we lack the full consciousness required to do it responsibly. Our intelligence is way ahead of our humanity, with devastating consequences. We are able to create these creatures for our own use and pleasure, instilling in them the attributes of loyalty and the ability to love, and then we abandon them when they no longer suit our purposes, leaving them heartbroken. We are a terribly selfish species. Humanity's treatment of animals will go down as one of the largest atrocities it has ever perpetrated, when and if we get to a point in history where we can look back and shake our heads in disbelief. Which is why I understand why some people compare the state of animal welfare in the world to human slavery... when we look back at it now, we cringe. I hope one day we get to a point where we look back on how we treated our fellow species, and we cringe. And that it is incomprehensible to every single human being.