e-mail
I still chuckle when I hear the phone message, no matter how many times I have heard it before. “The shelter does not accept animals from people who are moving, having a baby, or any other inane reason for dumping an animal!” I was calling to find out more about a Rottweiler featured in a recent letter from the shelter.
The Society of St. Francis animal shelter in Kenosha, Wisconsin is where I found my present Rottie, Lexie. We call her our “Runtie Rottie”. She’s kinda small for a Rottie, but what a sweetie. If not for Chris, the feisty, blunt and politically incorrect shelter director who recorded the answering machine message, Lexie wouldn’t be enjoying such a “dog’s life” in my home. She was badly abused before she arrived at the shelter. I recently received the latest in a long line of letters from the shelter, looking for additional money to pay vet bills, buy beds to get dogs up off the concrete, and most recently, contribute to a fund to bring to justice the despicable people who dump animals a mile or two away from the shelter and who could care less if they survive. (They need more money if anyone wants to contribute to a great place!) Recently there were four dogs pushed out of moving cars. All four were used-up “breeding” animals. Three of the four were captured, but the fourth one eluded shelter workers. The shelter staff did everything possible and then some to get that dog, but sadly, she was hit by a car and killed before they could accomplish their mission.
The tone of the letter was overtly angry about the failure of the local constabulary to address this problem and prosecute the offenders. Interestingly enough, here in Kansas there is a hot debate about increasing the penalties for animal abusers. Many have come to recognize the correlation between those who care nothing about animals and those who care nothing about people. More on that topic later.
No doubt Chris’s tone and blunt demeanor turn some people off. But she is, hands down, one of the most dedicated animal advocates I have ever met. She cares passionately about the animals and sacrifices greatly to see to their needs. When she called me back this afternoon, she asked how the weather was here in Kansas? I told her it was warm, about 60 degrees. She said she was so glad spring was coming because she much preferred being out with the animals instead of stuck in the office. I understand that completely. I hate the business side of things, and much prefer the service side. Even when I was a practicing veterinarian, I had little desire to own my own practice and add management tasks to my responsibilities. I really just wanted to see clients and help them make informed decisions about their pets.
I took an unexpected fork in the road when I became a child and adoption advocate. I have zero doubt that I have affected some people in the same way that Chris affects some people. But Chris’s anger is righteous anger, and while it may not make friends, sometimes people need to hear it like it is. Attachment disorder is real. Like Chris’s local police department, the folks in charge of making things better for emotionally disturbed kids and their adoptive families don’t always step up to the plate. I have a button on my purse given to me by my friend Julie, and it says, “Well-behaved women seldom make history.” Now why did she think I needed that? Together, we must MAKE people listen.
Can I get one of those buttons too~!?