Rescue Journal

more along the what we do lines...

Carol  ·  Sep. 10, 2013

people need to understand that public shelters like the SPCA and Animal Control facilities were not and are not set up to provide homeless animals with long term care. nor should they be because a kennel environment is not appropriate for an animal to live in indefinitely. for short term housing they work pretty well, they keep the animals safe, warm, dry, and well cared for until a permanent home can be found. but to keep an unadoptable animal confined for years upon years, waiting and waiting with no home in sight? well THAT would be very unkind.

when I set up saints it was specifically designed to provide long term care..the goal is always adoption but that doesn't always happen so we have to be set up to provide appropriate long term housing where they may very well spend the rest of their lives.

I have heard the "the shelters dump their unadoptable animals on saints..." comments. give me a break, the shelters are doing what they are supposed to be doing, seeking out alternative, responsible, compassionate options rather than just arbitrarily euthanizing these unadoptable guys. I KNOW how hard it is to find these unadoptable shelter guys homes because I KNOW how hard it is to find our saints guys homes. the majority of them WILL spend the rest of their lives here. NO ONE is banging down our doors to actually adopt them.

saints exists to catch the senior, the sick, the infirm, the ones with a screw or two loose who fall thru the cracks of the mainstream sheltering mandates. we fill in a gap of much needed care for senior and special needs homeless animals out there. we are a specialty facility that specializes in geriatric, palliative and long term shelter/foster care.

cuz here is the thing...specialized care requires specialized things..like specialized facilities, specialized equipment, specialized knowledge, skills, and expertise. we can take two old and wrecked dogs like capone and riley and put them on a specialized regime. suddenly they ain't so wrecked and old any more and trust me..it cost a fair amount of time, effort, knowledge AND money. but it is what we do...every single day. we minimize the unhappy effects of illness and aging. we are good at it.

there is a place in the world for all kinds of shelters, for all kinds of animal welfare. no one single place can meet all of the needs of all of the homeless animals out there. there needs to be a variety of animal services available to meet all of those needs.

saints is just one cog in the wheel of animal welfare in BC. we have a job to do that addresses a specific area of homeless animal needs. the spca's and animal control facilities address a different type of homeless animal's needs.

you cannot compare apples to oranges or bananas to kiwi fruit...they may all be fruits but they are not the same.
animal welfare is like that..we all have a very important yet different role to play in the animal welfare arena.

Comments

Michelle

Can I pop by at 830 sat morn then Carol? I can help pack up or deliver to superstore whatever needs to be brought there. I will have the posters back too.

lynne

you know i was thinking i took my beloved starbuck from the animal shelter in mission some 6 years ago. he had been there for 14 months. he had become a fixture there. he had his own kennel in the office. if they had given up on him and had him euthanized i would never had the greatest dog that i could have imagined. he was sick but they never gave up on him and neither did i. i have nothing but respect for mission animal control.

Carol

that would be great Maggie..but can you check with whatcom road vet first and see if it is ok with them because we did already decline the invitation, they may have already made other arrangements for someone else to take our place.

that would also be great shawn and yes you can bring norm.

shawn

I could help on Sept 14th after I volunteer at SAINTS. Maybe the afternoon shift... Do you need me? Could I take Norm as a former SAINT?

Leila

We love SAINTS for what it does and because it doesn't compare apples to oranges but mostly because the SAINTS animals inspire us to be better than we are.

Carol

we pulled out of that event because it conflicted with the gala, set up starts in the morning for the big gala event, it is our biggest fundraiser of the year. too much going on that day to do it all and the 130 saints animals still need their regular care on that day too.
we can only do so many things and be in so many different places in one single day.
sucks but true. we really appreciated the offer to have a table there but we just can't do it this year.

Penny

On another topic, I was talking to someone the other day who said that Saints had a table at the Blessing of the Animals in Abbotsford, which falls on the same day as the Saints gala, but they weren't sure if there was anyone to man it? Don't know any of the background to this, just repeating what I heard.

shelagh f

i am not on the regular email so am available in the
morning if that helps

Carol

hi michelle...set up time is 9 am the event goes from 10-4 so set up help until you leave for work will be greatly appreciated! it is at the mission superstore.

Michelle

Sorry. I just read the times needed. Can I help set up cuz unfortunately I have to be at work by 11

Carol

ok...so yes we are still on for that event.sorry..mind fart..what times are you guys available? I think erin said she was available for a bit too, was there anyone else????

another Doreen

Hi, just wondering about the Community Event Volunteers request posted Aug 28th. I think it was for this coming Saturday the 14th in Mission?
I could do an afternoon shift if still needed.
spanielbud@gmail.com