26/11/2022
Hi Everyone.
WOW, it has been such a long time since I last even thought about PVBA.
For a great deal many years it was ALL I thought about.
It was my therapy, my way of combatting some deep hurt and trauma from my early years working in shelters before the great change came about, before fostering was introduced, back when it was a conveyor belt of death, sadness, waste, and so much deep trauma. Funny, you get into the world of working with animals because you love them and because you want to do good things, and then you end up feeling like all you do is awful things. PVBA was my way afterwards to just do good things and to feel better, to heal.
For many years we cruised along, for a while on my own, then with a team getting bigger and bigger, then Covid came along and I was back to being on my own.
My ambitions back then were to grow PVBA into a charity that was as well known at RSPCA so that I could help every single animal that came along needing my help.
Covid disbanded the team and for a while there, through illness and burnout, I had too much going on and ended up in a pit of despair, and had to close PVBA altogether till I figured it all out.
I have now had a long time of not doing PVBA. To be honest, I enjoyed that. It is very distressing to wake up everyday to a new sad story of animals in pain and see the photos the desperate owners are sending you, knowing that 98% of the time you can't help. I enjoyed my freedom, I enjoyed exploring my musical pursuits, a new jaunt as a radio show host (Metal show on 100.9fm every Mon nite), I enjoyed going out and going away, I enjoyed my free time not being filled with work.
Then I got 'too comfy'. I put off PVBA altogether. I closed my office door and pretended that room in the house didn't exist. I put off thinking about what I was going to do with it.
Today I opened the door and started cleaning.
As I cleaned the room and organised all the items that you have all kindly donated towards fundraising, the paper for pamphlets, the stationary for marketing, all the PVBA heart and soul, I realised I HAVE to think about the future of what to do with it.
I thought about just closing it. But I can't let go, not at this point, I put way too much hard work into getting it set up. Its my baby.
I thought about just picking up where it left off. I just don't have the time nor the team, nor the desire for it to be so time consuming and my only pursuit anymore.
I thought about continuing to ignore it. Not kind to all of you who wonderfully contributed towards its evolution and existence, nor my wellbeing.
And then it dawned on me....
Go back to its roots!
In the very beginning I wasn't looking at it through a competitive lens. I just wanted to be someone who raised money for animals and spent it helping sick pets get veterinary treatment. And if that meant I could only help one pet a month, then I was fine with that, it was one pet a month that might have died if we didn't come along. It wasn't till outside factors started to influence me, and the following grew that I started to get greedy and my focus shifted from the animals to growth and competitiveness.
I think the best way for me to tick all boxes and be able to not end all my hard work, but to be able to continue to do good work and have a life is to just reopen PVBA and slowly go along at my own pace and do what I feel capable of doing at that moment in time. Some weeks I may be totally involved, other weeks I might be busy doing other things, but I will do what I can to maintain PVBA, my ability to work (I have both a full time and casual job), the music world, and my own wellbeing at my own pace.
And if other people come along and want to do what we do, and compete in that space then that is awesome - more people helping families access veterinary treatment for sick pets. If they want to grow and be big, HUGE, then awesome. I am not going to worry about competing. I just need to be proud of my own accomplishments.
I know you have all liked and followed this page in the past years, seen it evolve in many directions, and see many awesome volunteers come and go. I appreciate the efforts of every single person, you have all been amazing. But this time, for a little while at least, I am going to go it alone. I hope you will all continue to like and follow this page, and hope even more that you feel comfortable to continue to financially contribute to fundraiser activities. I am getting the structure of the charity changed through ACNC so that a committee is no longer needed. Keep it small and simple. I will close the website for now. Facebook will be the only port of call.
Well, lets see how this goes.
Wishing you all a wonderful approaching Christmas Season.
Please remember to follow this page and set your settings to get notifications for upcoming posts. There is so much good we can do in this community together.
With kindness and hope,
Tammy Rodrigues.
P.S: since we last spoke I trapped a feral and socialised her. Her name is Rosie and she is now a permanent member of our family. This is us. She's adorable
