Rescue Journal

I have been thinking about incongruency lately.

Alison  ·  Aug. 18, 2006

Mostly in context with my paid emplyment as a nurse. i have been noticing more and more the ways our standards, policies, proceedures SAY we provide a certain standard or level of care and we THINK we are meeting those very same standards (and to certain degrees we are) but how our actions, SOMETIMES, because of one little miissing piece of true understanding, kind of nilify the whole darn attempt.

So... then I was thinking about any incongruencies at SAINTS, and I was trying to find those missing little understanding links to seek out any incongruencies here, Last night I got an email from Leila that made me laugh out loud (alot) and put my mind at ease in one area anyway.

She sent me a copy of a response to an adopter who was inquiring into the adoption fees for a rooster or two. Mostly for the old, sick, disabled animals, we do not have adoption fees, they are strictly by donation, their care needs and care levels themselves become the "fee" that adoptive families commit to on their behalf. But our occasional young, healthy, and issue free animals do have adoption fees to ensure that they have proper consideration and intrinsic value also. And apparently according to Leila, our adoption fees for young healthy roosters are the same as any other SAINTS animal, $150.

Besides imagining the look of disbelief on the potential adopter's face at the thought of paying $150 dollars for a rooster, and getting the best chuckle i have had all week...Leila is absolutely right. If we believe and we say that our cats have as much value as our dogs, and our sheep are worth the same inside as our horses, and our bunnies are no less or more than our llama, then our roosters share the same value and consideration as all the others. Roosters may be a dime a dozen in the real world, but not at SAINTS.

Now we could say, that the fees themselves are incongruent with our mandate to find our animals permanent, appropriate adoptive homes, but i don't think in the end they are. SAINTS animals are not adopted to people looking for a dog, or a cat or a rooster. SAINTS animals are adopted into homes who are looking for Ozzie's, or Michaels, or Hesters or Hanks. Our adopters are not adopting a generic animal, they are adopting a unique personality, and the animal "people" here are the gift, the donation, or the adoption "fee" is just to help care for everyone til they find the right home and to ensure that the animal themslves has real value (not just monetary consideration) to their new family.Someone who wants to adopt Hank the rooster himself, and willing pays his adoption fee, will not balk at providing sometimes expensive vet care, or above average safe, comfortable, appropriate housing or good quality food and a great quality of life.

Thanks Leila, our adoption policies AND our actions support our beliefs, and there is no incongruency for me to find there.

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