06/19/2019
I can't say it any better than my friend, Sherry Stinson. If you are in rescue...READ THIS! If you are not in rescue....read it anyway!
BE KIND
I answer messages for Amore Pit Bull Rescue. Last week, I exchanged several messages with a lady trying to find a home for her dog and during our last exchange, she sent me this:
"I've contacted a few other rescues and you are the only ones who have been so kind to me and didn't try to make me feel terrible about trying to find a new home for her. I really appreciate you."
It made me think about how we (rescues) present ourselves to the public. Yes, we hear stories we know aren't true. Yes, we see horrific abuse and mistreatment on a regular basis. Yes, we feel disgust and aggravation when people treat pets as disposable. We've heard all the lies, stories, and excuses. We are tired. We are worn. We are weary.
But...
Have you ever stopped for one minute and put yourself in their shoes? Oh, I know, "there's NO WAY I'd ever give up my dog!...I'd sleep in my car before I'd give up my animals..." blah, blah, blah.
Yes, please. We know all the judgy soapbox statements most rescuers have made or would make. Yet I challenge you to look at it from the other side. Take me, for example. I have five dogs, two of which don't get along. If I lost my home, could I live in my car with them? Even if they all got along, no. Thankfully, my home is bought and paid for, so unless it burns to the ground or blown to bits by a tornado, I don't have to worry about losing it.
Not everyone is as lucky. Not everyone has a safety net. Not everyone has a cushion. Sometimes bad stuff just happens. I once helped a lady who lost her husband, lost her job, and subsequently lost her home. She moved in with her mother and the landlord gave her 30 days to get rid of her dog she'd loved for 10 years. We called every rescue; no one wanted her dog because it wasn't a purebred. She cried and cried as the days counted down with no options in sight. Then, at the very last minute, a family stepped up, met the former owner, fell in love with the dog, and they promised to love her for the rest of her days. Could I have judged her, looked down my nose at her and said, "You can sleep in your car!" Sure. But would it have been right to do so? No, it would have crushed someone who was already down.
So, the next time you decide to judge someone because they don't live up to your exacting standards, remember the old adage, "There, but for the grace of God, go I."
It costs you nothing, so be kind.
