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Do charities deserve our help?

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Yes hodge pig have met those 22 cats and all are a credit to the person who owns them and how hard work wise and financially it must cost to keep those cats with out any help. Think we Need to do a fundraiser for them as it can't be easy in every respect keeping that many we'll cared for cats . At least the idiot who started this thread has got us all united in one thing ... We all care unlike some if it was 1st of April I would seriously think this was an April fools joke . Very sad to think someone thinks there that special folk who work tirelessly all year round should put there well earned coffee down and open especially for them . How many times must staff see folk turn up saying they want to adopt an animal and walk away minutes later with out even putting anything in the charity box. It happens all too often

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I'm sorry but I'm going to agree slightly with the OP. I worked in dog rescue for a while, and whilst we were run off our feet (I was also holding down a full time job), we often went above and beyond if it meant the difference between a dog getting a home or not. We often did home checks late at night, or took dogs to the owners house if they had problems getting to kennels, or made a last minute dash to kennels so the potential owner could meet a dog. Other rescues used to ask us how we had such a fantastic rehoming rate, especially given that most of our dogs were staffies from the pound, and its because we always went out of our way to work around the owners rather than the owners working around us. I'm sure it wouldn't have hurt the shelter to bend the rules by 20 minutes - now that 20 minutes could have cost a cat a very good home. Just because you don't like the OP's attitude doesn't mean she wouldn't have been able to provide a good home for a cat. If it was 3 hours, fair enough...it was 20 minutes. And with so many cats and dogs needing spaces in rescue, I think the shelter should have been more flexible - even if they just let her in to wait until someone was available.

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We had to wait at the Cat's Shelter when we arrived early (we left plenty of time to get there as we weren't sure exactly where it was), didn't think anything of it at all and came home with a lovely cat. That's what a normal person would have done, not get into a stupid huff and rant on the internet about it, as others have said would you have a rant if you arrived early at the supermarket, do you expect the bus to be there when YOU get there rather than the advertised time? :loopy:

 

---------- Post added 18-11-2013 at 14:21 ----------

 

Looking at the OP's other posts they seem to be upset by a multitude of really quite every day occurences, so maybe their inability to read a simple statement of the opening times was the straw that broke the camel's back?

 

:hihi: I see what you mean - apparently Sheffield's pubs should also turn their music down to suit the OP, rather than the OP picking a suitable pub without music

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We had to wait at the Cat's Shelter when we arrived early (we left plenty of time to get there as we weren't sure exactly where it was), didn't think anything of it at all and came home with a lovely cat. That's what a normal person would have done, not get into a stupid huff and rant on the internet about it, as others have said would you have a rant if you arrived early at the supermarket, do you expect the bus to be there when YOU get there rather than the advertised time? :loopy:

 

To be fair, you can't compare a bus service or supermarket to a cat charity trying to find homes for unwanted cats. There are a shortage of good homes and a surplus of animals needing them so IMO, the charity owes it to the animals to do whatever it takes to get them a home. If they don't and view charity work like opening a supermarket and selling bread, they're in the wrong area. Now to most people, 20 minutes may be quite petty and most of us would have waited around anyway. However, this particular person didn't - and I would have rather inconvenienced myself and stopped cleaning litter trays for 20 minutes, even if swallowing down my annoyance, if it meant one of the cats getting a home. Just because this person didn't have the patience to wait like most of us probably have, doesn't mean she can't provide a loving home to a cat. TBF, she DID go to a cat rescue rather than buying one for £20 off Gumtree - which is more than most people do.

 

Was it her problem that she got the times wrong? Yes. But in the grand scheme of things, it was 20 minutes - let the woman in for Christs sake. Having had experience of working in rescue, I can see it from both sides. However, I also found that a lot of people who work with and love animals don't necessarily have the best people skills - but people are the ones that will give your animals a home, and so you have to be flexible/understanding with them.

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To me ms interprets 2nd rant clearly shows a disregard for charities as she stated how hard is it to clean a few litter trays?give and take on both sides but to come on a public forum and have a rant over 20minutes and pull down charitable work in my view is not acceptable she could have kept her feelings to herself and gone somewhere else .in this day and age and how hard it is to rehouse animals she clearly gives a disregard for the work the charity is doing by ranting over a short space of time we all go above and beyond the call of duty to help animals whether working in rescue or not and in the bigger picture of things if she cared that much 20mins is nothing if you seriously want to help any animal in need out and there is give and take in every thing but this person clearly under values any good work being done I suggest she volunteers her services for the day and then sees if she's more forgiving

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The OP sounds very small-minded to me, trying to discourage people from supporting a charity because they weren't able to drop everything and welcome her with open arms, even though she was early because she hadn't bothere to check the opening times properly.

 

The shelter's opening times are a bit frustrating, I know we've found it awkward, but you have to realise there are a lot of cats in there and they operate to a schedule for a reason.

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It could be that the staff had been busy getting ready for opening all morning and were grabbing a quick bite of dinner before opening the doors, surely thats not to much to ask?

I do agree that flexibility is a good thing and it works both ways but I suppose these rescues are just so busy that if they started it then it could turn into a fiasco if they let one person in they have to let others in and the whole day is messed up.

If I really wanted something though I would be of the opinion that 20 mins is a small wait at the side of a lovely new friend for life.

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Sad how people who don't have a clue about the hard work that goes into any rescue, are the first to have a dig, get in and get your hands dirty like so many "volunteers" do and I'm sure your opinion would change if you met a person with an attitude like yours!

 

Opening times are there for a reason.

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If you can't even wait 20 minutes.....well I'm stunned. I make appointments with people to view when I have a litter & I expect them to stick to them as I have a life and family too. Rescues have a hell of a lot more jobs to do with their multiple animals than I have so I hardly think it's unfair to expect you to stick to their opening hours

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Opening times are there for a reason there are lots of things to do before opening time feeding, cleaning making sure all animals are ok ready for people to view them.

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How come people who don't give a rat's backside go without being criticised, yet the moment an angel's (for that is what the people in these rescues are, or as near as it comes) halo slips a notch they are worse than the devil and personally responsible for all the woes of the world?

 

And as for the insinuation that rescues should be eternally grateful for anyone coming to their rescue at any old time...well, I've had experience of people like that. An absolutely well-intentioned lady - no doubt about it - took a cat we had rescued and were struggling to fit in with our existing cats. Within 48 hours the cat was back with us - she too was of the mind that she was a great saviour of the cat and we - and the cat - should fit in with her good works. Cats being cats, it didn't work out that way...

 

There are procedures in place for a reason. Opening times, and time put in outside of these public hours.

 

As a transporter for various rescues I too have to fit in with rescue's times and if there are delays or schedule changes I arrange this en-route and sometimes may need to wait..

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well having visited the Cat Shelter today I can vouch for how busy they are during opening hours.

 

In the short time we were there we saw around 6 sets of visitors (with 2-4 people in each party) and heard others that we didn't see.

 

The staff have to answer the door bell, take visitor details, accompany visitors into each of the cat rooms, explain over and over again which cat is which and what their story is etc. They changed litter trays whilst we were there and dealt with phone calls and multiple questions. The pre-adoption process involves more form filling and checking locations, taking money / providing receipts.

 

As we were leaving we heard the staff say that they were just about to commence feeding. By the time we left it was clear that the cats were a little tired of all the attention, petting and comings and goings.

 

So for anyone who thinks that the staff are being difficult, actually think about the stress that the animals are under during viewing hours. Having met a few of the staff I'd say that they have the priority of the animals welfare absolutely right.

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