Guilt, blame and disapproval; welcome to our rescue!

If you adopt a dog from me, but aren’t inspired to read a behaviour book or attend a training class, that’s not your fault, it’s mine.

 

If you’re having a problem with your new pet, but don’t come to me to help you with it, then I’ve let you down.

 

If you come to me for a pet and you leave without one, then I’ve failed you.

 

Because we care for our animals so much and see so many terrible things happen to them at the hands of bad owners, its really easy to hold on to the belief that people aren’t trying hard enough, are too stupid or don’t care enough to change and we send them away.

Sure, sometimes you’ll be right, but it’s really unhelpful to think this way.

We think by having strict requirements for adopters and intimidating barriers to overcome, that we have implemented good controls and a way to guarantee that the pets’ next life will be a good one.

The truth is we cannot guarantee the outcome of any adoption, except to ensure the pet is sterilised.

Our potential adopters, people who might become our greatest supporter in the community, are often treated like the enemy – guilty until they can prove themselves innocent. In turn they feel badly treated and foolish and seek their pets from other sources. Or in considering us ‘the rescue police’ they tell us what they think we want to hear and essentially we’ve turned them into liers. Either way, they’ll leave and we’ll never see them again.

If your group is waiting for perfect pet owners to fall into your lap, then sadly you’ll likely be disappointed. Pet stores and BYB however, will do a roaring trade because they don’t care about such things and then, when the owner turns out not to be perfect, the pet ends up in rescue anyway.

But perfect pet owners are made, not born and how we regard these ‘imperfect’ owners will either strengthen rescue or see it maintain the status quo.

When we regard ourselves as primarily a source of change, we become a community service. By forming bonds with imperfect owners, we keep them from seeking their pets from the newspaper or the local shopping centre and give ourselves the chance to provide education, support and resources to them before and after adoption. Working with the adopter to find solutions, not punishing them for what they don’t know yet.

You can deal with people in a way that motivates them to want to become exceptional pet owners, who trust you enough to come to you for support and advice; or you can build barriers between you and the very people you need to care for your pets.

 

Which do you do?