Monday, January 7, 2013

Not-so-"Mini"-Rant

So, just a little mini-rant today.  Ok, so remember the lady with the four guinea pigs and two rats?  That wanted to drop them off Saturday and then didn't show up, and didn't tell me until 7-8 HOURS afterwards that oh, something came up.  Yeah.  I get a call this morning, from a blocked number (which, btw, I will not answer, so if you want to talk to me, don't block your number, cause it makes me suspicious), and it's her, saying she found homes for all the guinea pigs and rats (really? in two days -- what was she paying people to take them?), but now she wants to know -- she has chinchillas she might want to bring to the rescue.  Um... what?  Four guinea pigs, two rats, and chinchillas.  Not that I don't have a lot of animals, but I have my breed/show chins and I rescue.  For the average person -- running a hoarding operation are we?  I would love to see the size cages this person has.  Something tells me they would be small.  And talk about dumping all your animals at once.  I called her and left a message.  Watch her call back and ask if I can take in [insert animal here] as well.

AND.... I got a call a few days ago from someone asking if we took in guinea pigs.  I told her we do, when we're not full, and she said ok she'd refer me to her friend.  Hate to be an ass, but.... are people incapable of calling themselves?  It's one thing to say, hey, friend, know of anyplace that takes guinea pigs?  And if they know, they tell you.  Not that I don't condone people helping one another, but I feel like people are getting too lazy to do any grunt work themselves.  Anyway, so the friend calls today, says she's been "outta work for two years."  And she waited all this time to get them care?  Omg boils my blood.  I called her back (got voicemail) and referred her to Critter Corral, cause her location sounded around their area. 

Ok, one more thing.  I was on craigslist and ran across a Wisconsin rescue type place for small animals and it said how they found a vet to spay/neuter their animals for low-cost.  How it is these people find these vets?  If I'm lucky I get a $10 discount when I go locally, because (depending on who's ringing me up), they charge the re-check fee instead of the initial exam fee.  Ooooh.  Not that I don't appreciate it (I do!), but it sure isn't giving me spays/neuters for $20 like that one small dog rescue I talked to, or even for $50/60 (the rescue I found recently is adopting out rabbits for $60, so surely the spay/neuter is under/near that amount).  Shit, it would cost me like $150+ to spay/neuter a chin.  I want to find a vet to work with me.  And one that's not an hour away, because the drive would negate any savings.  Don't get me wrong, I take in the pets when they need care.  But I would be a lot more willing to squeeze more animals in the rescue, excuse me, more sick animals, if it didn't break the bank every time I go to the vet.  When I'm full, if I have to take in anything, sick animals are at the very bottom of the list.  Not because I don't want to treat them, but because they take so much time and effort, and when the rescue is overflowing, the last thing I have is time.  But it doesn't help that I've walked out of the vet with a $600 vet bill before and all I have to show for it is inconclusive test results and a few doses of baytril.  Now come on, it doesn't really cost $5 to give me an extra syringe, does it?  No, it doesn't, cause I can buy those syringes on a vet website for 30 cents a piece, so I KNOW the vet is getting them cheaper than that cause they're buying in bulk.  Another case --> I saw on facebook that someone's vet charged them only $50 for their kitten to be in cat ICU and get oxygen for 2 days.  $50!!  Shit, I'm jealous.  I paid over $125-200 per DAY for Shiloh to get oxygen, depending on his necessary levels.  I need to find me one of these vets.  Ok, how bout this.  Who wants to grow up and be a vet and cut me breaks when you have your own practice?  I'll bring all my animals to you and you can be the "nice vet" associated with the chinchilla rescue.....  *dangles carrot*

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