So, was posting some stuff on facebook, and it occurred to me it was totally stuff I should be writing in here. So here we go (edited so it makes sense out of context):
I've had chins returned where someone contacts me saying
it's not working out (or whatever the case) -- I don't make a big deal
of it, I don't berate them, we just set up a time to get the chin back
and move on with our lives. No hard feelings,
it happens. It's the people who try to avoid returning the chin that
everyone gets to hear about (negatively, of course) cause I really don't
think highly of those people, to say the least. The lady today said
she wanted the chin to go to a good home -- sure she did -- but by
listing her for sale rather than contacting me, she clearly pointed out
(in her words as well), that money was a top consideration. Don't bring
back the cage and supplies, that's fine, sell those and make money for
all I care, but the living animal? I feel like if you're so caught up
on the money you spent that you don't want to return the chin cause you
won't make your money back.... that's just ridiculous. If they really
cared about a good home, they would return the chin, without me having
to dig out their paperwork and call them, because they'd know that the
rescue approving someone to adopt is likely a better home than they
could find themselves-- not knocking anyone's ability to find a good
home, but this person seemed like she'd give the chin and supplies to
the first person who showed up with the money. $120 hardly makes
someone a good home.
If someone wants to return the chin, fine. I'd rather the chin be in a
home where someone wants to take it out and love it than with someone
who feels they have to keep feeding it and watering it cause they don't
want to return it. I've had people
question my charging an adoption fee for the second time the chin is in
the rescue. Just cause I didn't pay money to have it returned doesn't
make it free! I still have to care for it, cage it, evaluate/quarantine
it a second time, and so on and so forth.... but some people are so
concerned about the money aspect. I think some people really think a
rescue is a gold mine, and let me tell you, those "free animals" I get
in all the time drain the rescue bank account like you wouldn't believe.
If I didn't have all the wonderful donations (thank you, all) for
Rochelle, I would have to adopt out a hell of a lot of critters to
balance out what her vet bills cost me. Just for example. It's not
like they come in for free, nothing's spent on them, and I make $75 per
chin, it's more like -- they come in for free, I have to cage/feed/water
them for several months, screen several adopters and waste plenty of
time with the wrong ones before finding a good one, and then make $75.
But what do the expenses cost? Food, filtered water, clean cage, my
time... surely that's all worth something? I've never actually figured
it out, but the point is, it's not free, but some people act like I'm
making out like a thief! Me wanting money for an adoption fee is, I
feel, so different from someone not wanting to return a chin because
they WON'T get money. Someone being able to pay me an adoption fee
doesn't guarantee a good home, but it does help stop the impulse buyers
and it does show that they are willing to spend something on the chin.
Rochelle's owners wouldn't even take her in for a basic exam, that was
"too much." I feel like they were the people who would want a free chin
and though I don't know, I think they may have gotten theirs for free
or for very cheap, because they were not willing to even spend a small
amount at the vet.
What's even better is when I get these people on the phone (the ones not wanting to return their chin), they start trying to talk their way out of it, but you know what? I'm
not a doormat and they're not going to walk all over me. I find out
someone's trying to sell one of my rescues, oooh they're dead. Every
once in a blue moon, there's a reasonable excuse (i.e. the person
selling the chins was not here for the adoption and did not see the
adoption contract, so they legitimately didn't know they were supposed
to be returned), but 99% of the time, the person knows full well and
they're just trying to skirt the contract and that just boils my blood.
I don't mean to imply this happens often -- it doesn't -- I haven't
really had that many animals returned over the course of the rescue's
existence (less than 20 total since 2003)....and even less where the
people try to skirt the contract (probably under 5), but it just pisses
me off when that does happen. Just shows that no matter how well you
screen, some bad ones work their way in.
Some
of the problem with finding good homes seems to be that the chins are often bought as a "family
pet," but the family expects the kid to care for it. Which is fine,
provided the kid actually wants to. What seems to happen (not often to
get chins returned, but often how I get
them in the first place) is that the kid never cares for anything,
like, the kid says they will take care of a hamster, but they don't,
then a guinea pig, but they don't, and down the line, but when they want
a chin, the kid swears up and down that "this time will be different."
The idiot parents BELIEVE the kid (*facepalm*), get the chin, and, surprise!,
nothing's different and the kid doesn't want to care for the chin. In
the picture that I saw of this chin in her cage, there was a yellow
ziptie clearly holding the doors closed. REALLY?!? I mean, yeah, this
chin is a tad bit crafty (well, she darts for the door when you open
it), but ZIP-TYING the cage shut?!? Just screams neglect. Cause how do
you feed/water a chin that's cage is zip-tied closed? Or how do you
let it out to play? People are just insane.
I want to strangle them believe me. The thought of going to jail for
assault and not being able to help the animals, that overrides the
desire to strangle them and tell them what I really think. But it's
definitely hard sometimes. Like when Rochelle's
owners asked me, once I spent money on her at the vet and she got
better, could they adopt her? Uh, no? Oh. Well, could they adopt
another chin? NO. If they won't pay for a vet bill for one chin,
nothing will make me think they'll pay for a vet bill for a different
chin. Right there is an automatic adoption rejection -- won't pay vet
bills. That, or I had someone recently get rejected for telling me he
put the chins outside in the summer outside his window for his viewing
pleasure. And he didn't read our care packet cause he didn't need to (and wrote something to that extent on the form).
Um, wrong? Just cause you think you know doesn't mean you know. Humor
me and read it, you just might learn something. Sorry, but with the pet
comes responsibility. Won't pay vet bills? Not getting pet. Won't take a few
minutes to read a care packet cause a rescue asks you to? Not getting
pet. Dropping off pet cause won't afford vet bills? Sure not getting
pet BACK. That's why surrenders sign a form (well, when they come in,
no one signed anything today for Gigi) that says they will not have the
chin returned to them. Cause these dumbasses..... you know, it might be
for the best that they didn't stop in today, cause I was ready to ask
them about that cable tie, and I mighta just gone off.....
Not to mention, poor Gigi reeks of cigarette smoke. Not like, faint smell, like you can be holding her and I can smell her several feet away. Now, I don't smoke, no one in the family does (and no one's ever going to, because I already have asthma and lung issues), but I don't understand how you can do that to an animal. Sorry to anyone who smokes, but I really believe that if you really care about your animal, you're not going to smoke around them or in their general viscinity so that they will NOT smell like smoke. If you do, you're hurting their lungs. Sorry, but you are. Smoke outside or whatever, keep the chin in a separate room with an air purifier, but this chin reeks. What, were they smoking next to the cage? I feel bad for the kids in the house. Oy.
Ok, I'm done for today. I'm going to bed before I send my blood pressure through the roof thinking about the idiocy. Will update on Rochelle tomorrow and hopefully get some more rescue stuff done.
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