Author Topic: What is WRONG with people?! **long**  (Read 10549 times)

Offline Care2Adopt

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What is WRONG with people?! **long**
« on: March 10, 2008, 10:32:50 pm »
I am so sick and tired of people coming to me and saying "Ohhh the puppies on your website are so cute, but your adoption fees are so high! I really can't afford them, but I can afford XXX why are your adoption fees so high?"

For the record, my adoption fees for puppies are $150. That includes FULL bloodwork, treatment for whatever ails them (and 90% of puppies I pull come with kennel cough, coccidia, giardia, parvo, SOMETHING as they are all animal control dogs) all vaccines, microchipping, alter, monthly flea/HW, a 6 week puppy K class, and collar/leash and favorite toy.

$150?!?!?!? When the average yearly vet exam is $250? The average spay/neuter runs about the same from a private vet? When just running in to get a 6 month supply of flea control will set you back $150?

What is WRONG with people?! I always get the people who say "Well animal control adopts them out for $65 why shouldn't I just go there"

By all means! Go to animal control! One less dog for me to pull-

But remember, animal control does ABSOLUTELY NOTHING except vaccinate, alter, and adopt out. They don't do any health screenings. I guarentee you the percentage of dogs adopted from animal control that die soon after of parvo, distemper, giardia, coccidia, infections, heartworms, etc etc, is VERY high.

Why is it so hard for people to understand that?! Why do I get the people who look at the vet bills and go "Hey, it only cost you $60 to spay, vaccinate and microchip this puppy, why am I paying $150?"

Er... Did we forget feeding the puppy and nursing it back to health from it's emaciated state? How about the two weeks of antibiotics, wormer, or treatment of mange? How about the week where the dog wouldn't eat at all and I had to stay up all hours of the night and cook eggs and wet mash, and rice, and pry the dogs stuborn jaws open to get just a LITTLE bit of nutrients in there before calculating if it was necessary to use another one of my INCREDIBLY EXPENSIVE IV ports and fluids, or rush her into the emergency vet.. again? What about gas driving too and from everything? Heating bills for the kennel? Bowls, blankets, towels, crates, all the things I cant get donated nearly enough?


What about the $1000 I spent on the sister to this puppy, that didn't make it? Or the $500 I spent on the brother, who DID make it, but whos adoption fee is still only $150?

If you blink at spending $150 adopting from a rescue that has poured their life into saving animals, what are you going to do when the dog swallows a sock and needs surgery? or jumps off the couch wrong and dislocates something? GAAH! I can't imagine anything more insulting then someone telling me my fees are too high, when I spend thousands of my own money, thousands of man hours, and people treat me like I am here for THEM, like my job is to make THEM happy, like I am some pet store employee who has to bend over backwards for them- I AM HERE FOR THE ANIMALS, THEY ARE MY ONLY CONCERN, I COULD CARE LESS IF YOU THINK I AM NOT TREATING YOU FAIRLY!!! I WILL DO EVERYTHING I CAN TO HELP FIND YOU THE RIGHT ANIMAL, BUT 9/10 OUT OF TEN, I KNOW MORE THEN YOU!!!!!!!!!!

I will not PRICE MATCH. I do not care what other rescues are doing. I can, and will, deny you for any applicable reason and DO NOT HAVE TO LISTEN TO YOU ARGUE WITH ME.

most people I sit down with, go over their application, spend hours discusing breeds, possible dogs, debating their decision on a puppy when I have the perfect adult for them, really working with them to find the right dog, and they respect, and listen, and take advice, and understand that I have worked SO hard to save these guys, that my primary concern is NEVER having to see them end up in the condition they came to me in.

But some people.. like genius one, who says "Would it be cheaper if you dont fix her, because i really dont care"

or genius two: Can you get me a teacup yorkie?
they are too expensive at petstores.

genuis three: if I find a puppy I like better can I bring him back and get my money back?


Or how about this grandeur?

Lovely zoie, an 11 month old beagle/lab mix who has been in the rescue a paltry 2 months.

Application was put in on her, and it seemed great. I questioned them about their lab, did a homecheck, nice house, nice yard, nice people. Did first interview where they met zoie, all was well. Did second interview, where dog met Zoie, all was well. Third interview where they observed zoie at foster moms house, and took her home. All was well.

That third interview was 3 hours long. I sat down and went over everything. A housetrained dog can have accidents in the beginning, especially a puppy, because they dont know where they are and it takes time to adjust. Remember to crate at night and when not watching her, until she is used to the house.

Your lab isnt going to like a new dog coming into his house right away. Remember, his things are his things. Make it easy on him by putting him first, and not changing his schedule too much. Remember not to feed together, play together, or give treats together, until they are used to each other. remember to crate when you can not be supervising, until they get used to each other.

Them: Oh yes, absolutely, we understand, we have a crate, we know how to introduce the two dogs together, etc etc. Nod, smile, sign the papers.

....48 hours later I get a call. can we bring Zoie back? she and slugger aren't getting along. They are fighting whenever there are toys or food or something down. I am afraid to leave them together when I leave. I was giving them treats and slugger lunged at zoie and I was in between and got bit. Zoie wants to sleep on his bed and he growls at her. I am afraid my daughter will get hurt.

I calm her down, I talk about crating, AGAIN, tell her that in the situation she has put the dogs in, their behavior is normal, they are fighting out the pack order, she has to exhert herself, and create a situation where they dont HAVE to fight it out- give them seperate beds, bowls, crate zoie, give slugger alone time, get them used to each other SLOWLY- ALL THE THINGS I SAID OVER AND OVER AGAIN DURING THE INTERVIEWS!!!!!!!!

No, thanks, we'd rather bring her back.

So now poor zoie is here, so confused. Again. For the record, this was her second adoption. Her first adoption fell through... 2 HOURS AFTER SHE WAS ADOPTED.. when they got her home and decided that she reminded them too much of their other dog who died a few months ago.

Sorry this is so long. I am so frustrated and tired, and upset. I'm gunna go cry and try to nap.








Shawn and her
3 Golden paws
2 Kitty-paws
3 Macaws
6 lovebirds
4 ferrets
+ dozens and dozens o' rescues and fosters

Offline People Whisperer

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Re: What is WRONG with people?! **long**
« Reply #1 on: March 10, 2008, 10:47:24 pm »
I ask this all the time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! >:(
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Offline GrumpyBunny

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Re: What is WRONG with people?! **long**
« Reply #2 on: March 10, 2008, 10:51:01 pm »
That is SO frustrating!  Just keep repeating "I am doing a good thing, and there are people in this world that appreciate it.  I am doing..."
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Offline Ali

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Re: What is WRONG with people?! **long**
« Reply #3 on: March 10, 2008, 10:54:19 pm »
 :-*

People suck.

$150 is very reasonable for all that stuff, in my opinion. Especially with leash, collar and favorite toy. Not that that's a huge expense or anything, but it's a personal touch. Poor Zoie, too! Hard to believe that those people invested so much time in the adoption and interview process, and then bailed. I wonder what really happened?

Hopefully for each of those morons, there is at least one decent home to match.

Ali
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Tani (TAH-nee or rhymes with "Bonnie")- Aussie/Pittie?Boxer?Mutt!
Kai - Aussie/Dobie
Kenji - big ol' black cat
Mika and Nishi - kitty sisters, foster failures!
Tasia Ladysnake - ball python

Offline Ali

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Re: What is WRONG with people?! **long**
« Reply #4 on: March 11, 2008, 04:02:41 am »
If anything the ignorant ones that whine and cry about the price are the easy ones to weed out.  It's already clear where their priorities lie...

OMG - sooooo true! I didn't even think of that. Good point.
Ali
mom of 4 humans AND
Tani (TAH-nee or rhymes with "Bonnie")- Aussie/Pittie?Boxer?Mutt!
Kai - Aussie/Dobie
Kenji - big ol' black cat
Mika and Nishi - kitty sisters, foster failures!
Tasia Ladysnake - ball python

Offline pyr4me

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Re: What is WRONG with people?! **long**
« Reply #5 on: March 11, 2008, 10:31:26 am »
If anything the ignorant ones that whine and cry about the price are the easy ones to weed out.  It's already clear where their priorities lie...

OMG - sooooo true! I didn't even think of that. Good point.

I really think this is true, if you can't afford a $150 adoption fee, then you can't afford a pet. Bottom line. As we all know you will shell out far more in vet checks, HW/flea preventative, quality food, training classes, etc. It also seems related to our society's disturbing sentiment of animals being cheap, free, easy to acquire, and easily disposable.  :'( >:(

Jenny's adoption fee from rescue was $250, Tipper's adoption fee from the Humane Society 6 years ago was around $125, if memory serves. Seems to me that $150 is really, really reasonable, maybe needs to be higher!  ;D
Jennifer

Tipper (8 1/2 yrs) Golden Retriever/Sheltie mix
Jenny (4 yrs) Great Pyrenees
Gabriel (14 yrs) Sealpoint Himalayan cat
Melanie (11 yrs) Domestic medium hair cat

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Offline London_Pyr_Lover

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Re: What is WRONG with people?! **long**
« Reply #6 on: March 11, 2008, 01:31:54 pm »
I have nothing to add to what the others here have said.  Only that you are doing a truly good thing, and although you may feel sometimes that it's more then your heart and your head can handle the ones that are truly important, the animals you are doing it for are grateful.  As are we.  ;)  It may sometimes feel like it is a constant uphill battle with the stupid and the ignorent people absolutely EVERYWHERE, and you know what, it usually is an uphill battle.  But every now and then you experiance something that makes it all worthwhile.  Like a loving family giving you glowing updates about one of your rescues, or say the look in Codys eyes now after you brought him back from the brink of death.  It's the things like that which make what you do meaningful, and I hope you never loose sight of that, because you are such a beautiful person for caring the way that you do.  :-*  And we will be here for you to listen, give advice, help you rant, or be a shoulder to cry on.
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Offline krismark

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Re: What is WRONG with people?! **long**
« Reply #7 on: March 12, 2008, 12:21:10 am »
I agree with the "If you think $150 is too much, then you can't afford a dog anyway" logic.


Don't get too frustrated though. You just have to remember that the percentage of people who think like a BPO'er is very low. You are helping to educate people by letting then know what goes in to that adoption fee. Maybe they will stop and think (some day) and realize how important their pet's health is, and that's a great deed!

Nicole

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Re: What is WRONG with people?! **long**
« Reply #8 on: March 12, 2008, 09:54:38 am »
Well, look who is back at BPO! :)

I agree. Its hard to find people that think like us and know what we know. Very very rare. Maybe someday someone will have some sort of "a-ha" moment because of something you said. Or they will have a dog with major health problems that they really love and realize what they have to spend fixing those problems. Who knows?

In the mean time, I hear ya. Its SO frustrating. That's why I can't be full-blown into rescue. I do what I can, but its just too much for me. I get angry, argumentatitve, quite combative, even. I respect what you do immensly because I know that I just can't handle it.

Offline GreatPyr

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Re: What is WRONG with people?! **long**
« Reply #9 on: March 12, 2008, 02:44:54 pm »
Your Adoption price is very reasonable,,,very gracious I might add.

People want something for nothing >:(  if they want spend the $150 and questioning it then I would consider they are cheapos and wouldnt adopt them out a pup anyway.
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