first, please bare with my jumbled, rushed thoughts and ocassional misspellings as with my MS my mind does not usually process things accurately these days at times. :/
with so much swirling around, it tries to break you down. you have moments were all you want to do is shout the truth and hurt them back as much as they're trying to hurt you. but then you have your moments of clarity which are obviously lined with better intentions, compassion, and maturity than the people trying to pull you apart. you stop, take a breath, evaluate things, and realize you are better than that and you will not stoop to their levels. The dog world is a callous, catty, competitive one. My entire life has been filled with various avenues of the dog world, and for the life of me i have yet to figure out why everyone cannot just work together, support each other, and show compassion in every avenue of dogtopia (working, showing, rescue, etc).
but i must address a few rescue related issues, as this is what this blog pertains to primarily. nearly 2 years ago i met people with the same goal, drive, and passion as i did. i sat down to talk to them and interview them as much as they did me. (-as is clear with the recent bullshit being spewed regarding my rescue, i learned years ago that rescue 'folk' are just as catty, crazy, and irresponsible at times as breeders and people that they view as their enemy-) Anyways, we were on the same page with just about everything. As I knew they were vegans, one of my first questions was if they supported PETA (like many vegans sadly make the choice to do without fully knowing what it is they're supporting), they said no. I cautiously mentioned my experience in the dog world and with working dogs and training (-i say cautiously as many narrow minded, blind rescue folk view working dogs/training and ALL breeders as the enemy which is nowhere near being accurate or true. once again, it's just a close minded way to go nowhere and break the good people down-), "SHE" (-i'll say 'she' as that's what our rescue is being referred to as by other people-) told me about her past in the same fields. For once in my life I felt like people "got" it in the same way i did.
not too long after meeting with them my dog, hoss, had a bowel obstruction. My akita, also my service dog used to help me from falls or balance me, had life saving bloat surgery only 3 months prior, so my funds were low to say the least. my boyfriend at the time looked to the dogs as an annoyance and a chore and a source of anxiety. he was not vigilant with the dogs, which lead to the obstruction (-hence the EX part-). They didn't think twice before dipping into their very own pockets to help me. they also didn't think twice about dispensing donation containers or posting for paypal donations. every single day, twice a day i posted my links. Now, with all the total BULLSHIT circling our (-yes, 'our', not 'she'...there is no 'she', yet for shits and giggles i will refer to it as such as thats what other people like to do-) rescue i find that i must defend myself to it all.
My vet bill was around $1,500. I have been disabled since age 17 due to multiple sclerosis. I receive only $750 a month to pay a mortgage, taxes, bills, etc. A handful of people stopped to help my cause. I knew even if i didn't get a single penny that I was going to save my dog's life in any way i could. Because for me, everything I have ever done is about dogs. A small hanful of people stopped to help and donate. I can still recall each name and still am forever in debt to you and grateful. I can attest 100% that the small amount of money I received to help with Hoss went directly to his vet costs along with mostly my own money. Bills were left unpaid for awhile but with the help of my mother and the few people who helped we pulled through financially.
They could have easily taken or kept any of that money...or even at some point since asked me to re-pay them the money that was given to me. They have not. None of that ever happened nor was it ever even discussed. They could have easily 'made money' off of me if they so wanted, but they never even thought of it one bit.
If people would like to talk massive amounts of crap about us, that's fine. At least do me a favor and try to be creative or realistic when doing so. When you say we are a "scam" and when you assume we pocket our donation money...please take a look at our lives. "SHE" has a half broken down vehicle that is getting even more beat up carting dogs hundreds of miles if need be. "SHE" has been so far behind on rent that "SHE" has had to sell furniture to pay for it. "SHE" has used money made on her own which was meant to pay for her own health to only go and pay for a dog's vet bill. "SHE" trains and works with multiple dogs every single day despite battling cancer, being in pain, having a son, being an artist, a supportive partner, and still managing to work with the dogs who have "issues" that some of you would have rather dumped on us than helped on your own. In my opinion, some of you could learn a thing or two about hard work and humility and dedication from her and most of us in this rescue.
But since many people decided to call the "rescue" a scam, that includes me as well. My bills are always paid on time because my mother would beat me if I spent the small amount of money I get per month on frivolous things. I purchased a home at 21 years of age...how many people do you know who did that? I didn't need a mortgage, to be poor, grow up too soon, or bills up the ass. I did not, but my dogs did. I purchased my home for the 4 dogs I had at the time. Every cent I get from rescue money goes right back into these dogs, and not my own bills. Although since my house and "HER" house are literally our only foster homes and buildings for training, rescuing, etc if we needed to pay a mortgage or rent to keep a roof over these dogs' heads would that not also be going to the rescue? since essentially our own lives and homes ARE this rescue? Yet that is not where our money goes, or how we make our ends meet with personal bills. Your money goes directly to these dogs, and I can give you my word 100% on that.
If gifts are sent for Macy, the other dogs only get a toy to replace one of theirs that Macy has already destroyed. Crates only go to be used for the other dogs because Macy has escaped 2 on her own. Nothing is used inappropriately around here or anywhere else. If it is for the dogs, it can be assured that it goes directly to a dog. I, as someone who has been close to these people for as long as I have, find it hard to believe any of you have more information or "dirt" on them than I do. So please, re-evaluate your comments, your facts, and sources before you make such slanderous, damaging comments.
Anyone who actually speaks to us, comes to our events, opens up to us, and gives us a chance, will see our passion and know how we operate. I have lived and breathed dogs my entire life and I have always done things the right and proper way. I can say 100% that I have found the same in "HER" and I know full well more than most what her intentions are and where her money goes. Before we are taken care of, our animals are taken care of.
People will always try to break you down, belittle you, slander you, etc. Usually it's because you do something right. We do not just randomly find dogs in abandoned buildings, post them feverishly on the internet, and hand them over to the first willing commenter without properly training, vetting, temp testing, and background checking that person. So, as far as I'm concerned, some of you are the ones who need to re-evaluate the way you "operate".
At the end of the day, it doesn't matter to me what you say. Should an animal need my/our help, we will be there for it. There is nothing we want more than for people to come together, suck it up, and work as a team. We want people to see us for what we really are, and we want to be able to say "yea, i know so and so and they're an amazing, capable person/rescue who we work with often". There is no need to attack and rip apart someone trying to fight for a cause. It's also ironic when people talk about money. $1,500 was put into a dog who escaped from a possible fighting, abusive drug home. that is a large sum of money that we could have just passed off to someone else, or just did the bare minimum with care. $3,000 on a random pitbull found with the skin scraped from his legs down to the bone was another vet bill that we could have easily passed up on.
We are not rich people. We take on these cases because we are good at it and we have one goal in mind: helping these animals, rehabbing them, and then training them to be the perfect companion for a properly screened adopter.
The right way is not "our" way. There is an ethical, safe procedure and a "right" way to do everything. With certain breeds the "right" way and properly doing it is the only way. No matter how hard we need to work, or how much the cost, we will still continue to do things the proper, safe, ethical, and "right" way no matter what anyone else feels the need to say about us.
Please keep in mind that despite my sarcasm, there really is no "SHE"...there is only a "WE". I have given blood, sweat, tears, and my health (literally all of the above) for this rescue. This is MINE just as much as it is "HERS". When you fuck with this, not only are you fucking with my chosen family, but you are jeopardizing my rescue, my goals, my dreams, my health, my future, and my everything. As well as a handful of other amazing people who help us and make us a whole unit. (-shout outs to those of you who are always by our side, we know it isn't easy and we sincerely love every one of you-) And that makes those of you doing the slandering the shitty, unethical, cold hearted, scam. Not us.
No matter what has been said to each other in the past, we would never turn down a meeting, a discussion, a joined event, or working with anyone. But when people start saying some of the things that have been said recently and throwing out false allegations, that is where it becomes too much and it becomes a serious issue and problem, and that is where i draw the line and my gloves come off. I have held back A LOT so as to take the higher road and spare people's feelings and personal lives. But perhaps next time the actual truths I know (and not just random gossip and falsehoods) will come to light and I won't be so polite or proper.
Oh, and adding pages or having other people add pages and keep them around just to stalk and dig aroud for whatever you're looking for is low and pathetic. It's sad, really sad and I'm sorry that's what some people consider "rescuing". As if any of this wasn't reason enough to stop....you don't want to cross my boyfried. Screwing with me and my dogs is screwing with him and what he loves most in his life. He's vindictive, spiteful, and wiley. luckily so i don't have to ever be, cuz I'm too nice for that <3
like ron burgundy said in anchorman "stay classy".....try it sometime.
You brought me to tears and had me standing on my feet with you right from the get go! Darlin you have said a mouthful and perfectly aimed it was. This is not an ego business or glamor job, and if people could learn anything from a dog it's that Life Is Not about ME it's about WE. My father used to tell me. "Small people talk about other people, mediocre people talk about things, and great people speak of ideas" The tragedy of of those short sited people who are spreading lies and rumors are hurting the things they pretend to care about. THE DOGS!!!! Have they ever thought through their actions and seen the consequences to all their bullshit?? It has occurred to me that these people who love chaos and discord are miserable small souled shrunken sad little creatures. And misery loves company. But people who are doing something are too damn busy and too damn tired to fester and stew with envy and hate. They see a problem and they deal with it. You are doing that and so is "She" and "They" are just destroyers trying to crush what they have not had the heart and courage to do themselves.
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