Letters to the Editor
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Net gain
This is such an ugly story in every aspect, and at first I was truly disgusted with Ellen for making it a show topic, indulging herself with tears and creating so much ill will for an organization that loves animals. Why didn't she work out her personal story on a personal level, where it belonged?
But the more I read these letters, the more I think maybe some real good will have been done in the long run. If pet adopters can become more sensitized to their own ethical responsibilities once they commit to a living being, and if pet shelters can become more aware of the need to loosen unnecessarily rigid policies -- well, then maybe all this pain, scrutiny and sadness will yield better things for abandoned animals.
I want to think so.
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People are People
I hate the word Rescue. It is one of the most over used and under utilized notions to have developed in recent years. Having said that, I am guilty of the act of scraping four legged things out of the street after being hit by cars, dragging their sorry broken butts home and trying to make their flea bitten, mangy, starved, not spayed, not housebroken selves attractive to Joe Public.
It can be a very long road. What people see at the actual adoptions are the animals at the other end of that journey. What people also encounter are the frazzled, vet bill laden, knuckleheads who were stupid enough to sign up for this job in the first place.
It is often thankless. The part that is probably not readily apparent, because most in this world work hard to mask it, is that the two legged things who bring the four legged things home, develop a love for them that that is difficult to explain.
A Shrink once said that it's not holding hands and catching a movie together that forges bonds, but rather going through the hard times together. The people asking all the seemingly inane questions at the adoptions do have a loved one's interests at heart...not necessarily your loved one, but a loved one, none the less.
People want what people want, when they want it. We are not patient as a lot. What perhaps is sometimes overlooked is that working with a group of lunatics who do this over and over is not like going to Best Buy. The fact that you were the first one in line, may not guarantee you go home with the dog you have just recently laid eyes on for the first time.
The person performing the Spanish Inquisition cares more for your intended than the clerk does about what sort of an environment you might be providing for your new Ipod.
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I think I understand the lesson
I think there is a very simple lesson from all of this. It’s one we learned from our own experience I briefly explained earlier and one I hope many more will take.
We talk a lot about the rescue groups interviewing the adopters. I think the adopters should be interviewing the rescue group just as much. Don’t fall in love with the animal first. This takes away your ability to interview the person you are potentially adopting from.
When you are going to buy a puppy or kitten from a breeder, you don’t just go to the first one that you hear of. You research them and look at the quality of the puppies or kittens. You look at the kennel to make sure you are not buying from a puppy mill.
We need to have the same due diligence when adopting from a rescue group. Interview the group member or the foster that you wish to adopt from. This person has been instrumental in shaping the current personality of the animal you wish to bring into your family. You are also depending on this person’s skill and knowledge to help find a good fit for your family. If they seem like a flake that are keeping 26 cats in their house, would you really want a cat that has been living in a single room with 25 others? Do you just trust anyone that claims to be a mechanic to fix your car? Why not make sure the rescue person truly has the skills/knowledge they claim to have by having a frank discussion with them. It should become evident if they do or do not.
I think that we should inspect the foster home with the idea of telling them that this will help the adopter understand what they view as the desired home situation and to learn from what they have learned from experience. You will find some are truly appalling and some are truly brilliant and magnificent in what they can teach you. Both sides exist. It is your responsibility to find which one the foster is. Many, many rescue groups/people are truly fantastic people. We just need to view the rescue people like we do any other company, group, non-profit or for profit that we wish to enter into a contract/partnership with.
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Dogs are not human
I love dogs. A lot of the time more than people. But it is beyond absurd to argue that the standards that apply to adopting a human child should apply to dog adoptions as well. If these shelter people love dogs so much wouldn't they rather give the dog a chance at a good life than euthanize it? I don't get it.
I had a shelter try to renege on my adoption because the foster family that was taking care of my dog decided they liked him so much they wanted to keep him themselves. This was AFTER I had driven 100 miles to meet him, said I would come back to get him on the day they said I could get him, and bought all his new supplies. I had to beg and cry to get him and they finally let me have him. But give me a break.
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This isn't an either/or situation
Ellen and the shelter BOTH behaved badly. The shelter was too rigid and vengeful to check out Iggy's new home and if it proved a safe and happy one, which I'm pretty sure it would have, let the dog stay where it was. Ellen used her bully pulpit to try to strong-arm the shelter, and in her little fits of self-indulgence, probably discouraged lots of people from going to shelters to adopt a dog, possibly driving them straight into the arms of pet shops that traffic in puppy-mill cruelty. She did a humongous disservice to the animals in shelters waiting for homes.
As for Heather, boo-freaking-hoo. So you felt bullied by the shelter folks. Big deal. When you're back at your cozy keyboard, they're still out there dealing with all kinds of animal cruelty and abuse every day and saving as many as they can. Does this ultimately make them self-righteous and cranky? In a lot of case, probably yes. So what. Most people who struggle daily to protect the defenseless and who go places most of us would rather not go -- be they animal rescuers, environmental activists, child-welfare advocates, etc. -- probably end up being a little pushier, preachier, and less likely to suffer fools gladly than the rest of us are. We still owe them a huge debt of gratitude, and in the short time we spend with them, we should show them some patience and respect.
My family adopted just the type of dog that Heather sneers at, wondering why anyone would waste time or resources on him. He had been horrendously abused, was terrified of everyone and everything, and peed all over the place out of fear. Definitely not the kind of "hand-licker" some people need in order to feel instant pet gratification. Now, after a lot of love and patience and training, he's a happy, trusting dog, and a treasured member of our family.
The shelter we adopted him from was run by a woman who'd been in animal rescue for most of her adult life. She was pushy, bossy, and drove my husband and me a little crazy -- for the short time we were there. Then we went home, and she went back to work. Bless her, and all the people who devote their lives to these causes.