Events

Thank You Bosley's Maple Ridge ....

Carol  ·  Mar. 31, 2013

For the entire month of April the Maple Ridge Bosley's (22745 Dewdney Trunk Road) will be fundraising for SAINTS. They are going to be asking each of their customers if they would like to donate to SAINTS. They will also being doing some PR for SAINTS and will be promoting our 1000 saints program and highlighting some of the lovely videos we have produced for our fundraisers. Marion is the franchise operator of SAINTS and has supported SAINTS for many years.

For any rescue out there who has issues with Bosley's fundraising for SAINTS here is our stance on Bosley's now selling small animals in their stores.

Comments

sheila

Lisa I wrote that comment about "any rescue" I really was thinking aoubt any rescue and not anyone in particular. I was thinking about the rescue community in very much a general way. I know the community talks about other rescues which is okay. But if they were going to talk ,I wanted our position clearly stated and not be ignored in the conversation.

"Each rescue will do what they have to do to bring in money to support themselves" I am sure this comment wasn't directed at SAINTS but again since it is now part of the discussion I feel I need to respond to the comment. SAINTS doesn't do what they have to do to bring in money. I am not going to write a list of the times a have turned things down for SAINTS (like someone wanting to come in and take pictures with the animals to promote the event they were going to hold for SAINTS ). I am just going to mention two (okay it is really 3) because many of the rescue community participated and we didn't. The Vancouver Pet Expo - (in late October I think) asked SAINTS to be their charity of choice and were going to fundraise for SAINTS. We said no and I had a very respectful conversation with a lady from Calgary who runs the show. The pet expo in Abbotsford offered us a free booth and we didn't take their offer. I won't go into the long details but we felt that what the two shows were promoting didn't coincide with what SAINTS stood for.

Carol

i don't thnk this was directed at anyone personally..there are others in rescue who disagree with us on this decision.

anyway...i do understand why everyone (including SAINTS) is angry about boseys coroporate decision to sell animal lives in their company owned stores.

but i absolutely refuse to punish the privately owned and operated stores for a decision they not only have no control over..but one which they find abhorrent as well.

i am not going to target and hurt innocent people because of the actions of a distant and virtually unrelated parent company who happens to have just purchased the rights to a name.

maple ridge bosleys are good people...they have never and will never sell animals in their stores. i don't give a shit right now about any money they raise for saints...this fundraiser is a public statement by us that we value and support an animal compassionate and respectful, ethically managed, rescue friendly and supportive store who DO NOT and WILL NOT EVER have animals for sale in this store.

maple Ridge Bosleys has been supporting homeless animals in the community for more than the 16 years i have known them...SAINTS homeless animals are now going to give a little of that loyalty back and support them during these times of trouble over which they have NO control.

we are NOT going to harm innocent people just because PetValu and anyone else who sell animals lives are neanderthal dicks. in my books....the innocent and good guys in this war are not fair game.

Lisa

I guess "we" are ones that the *for any rescue who has issues with Bosleys* comment was directed at since we are the only small animal rescue and probably the rescue you are referring to (and has issue with Bosleys) since Bosleys will be selling the same small animals that we are trying to keep our heads above water day to day with to trying to help. The last comment in the post was a bit sharp and kind of nasty.

Each rescue will do what they have to do to bring in money to support themselves. It's just very disheartening to see the rescue community so splintered vs unified in it's stance on stores selling *live* animals of any kind....or most certainly not as concerned as they would be if they chose to sell puppies & kittens instead.

But alas, as Carol has written in many posts, each rescue will do or choose to do what is in their best interests. And my reply here is not looking for a fight as it's already been disputed over on the rescue boards.

I do however hope that people can see how many Bosleys stores are now coming out of the wood work wanting to help rescue where as before they couldn't give a damn. They are seeing a hit on their bottom line & are no longer with the SPCA so they want to now *help support rescues*....we in 12 years have never had so many emails asking for us to come in and partner with our animals. Before that, we weren't bombared all the different locations emailing about wanting to *help us and increase our exposure*.
I politely reply it would be hard to partner and bring in our animals to try find homes for in their stores all the while the very same animals are leaving the front door with any customer who has $50.

And it's a real shame as in most cities where Bosleys (all Bosleys as they are part of PetValu) don't even have a shelter or pound that will take in small animals....so once the sale is done & over, when they are no longer wanted, it's either small animal rescue to help them or they are dumped.

I hope this won't turn out to be a huge fight but I really needed to reply to this as each day I see people still wanting to support a Bosleys & then I look at all the blind, broken and battered small animals we have, it breaks away another piece of my insides....each day doesn't get better....mostly each day just gets sadder than the next. Please if you read this, try to see they other side as well or maybe why the *other rescues* might have issue with Bosleys recent decision.