I got 2 people fired! kinda long sorry..

[fancychicken]

I have been on and off this site for about a month (computer down and just to darn busy) so I never got a chance to tell you all my expirience with our loca SPCA and my adoption of Daisy.

Daisy was not spayed, so as you all know, not even the Pope can get a dog out of most SPCA's with out being fixed. I put in my paper work on a wednesday, and Daisy was to be spayed the following Tuesday.

I got a phone call on the Saturday after I put in her paper work from the SPCA saying Daisy had been spayed and to please come and get her. Now Normally I would have run down, but I was completely unprepared, no crate , no toys, no food bowls and most importantly we had out entire up stairs ripped apart and there was insulation everywhere (we were re0installing a heating system).

I told them I'm sorry there was no way I could get her , the soonest would be MOnday. I then recieved 3 more calls DEMANDING that I come get her. The last call they put me on with the director who then proceeded to TELL ME that she didn't feel well and that I HAD to come down and give MY dog some attention .

You bet your butts I was on the phone with the people who funded the entire SPCA, (unbeknownst to them the are clients of mine) I recieved a phone call the other day from a friend of mine that works there, letting me know that 2 people including the director had been fired for their behavior and how the treated me and Daisy.

[Novel]

Wow! So, they called you early to tell you that she was ready, and you simply weren't ready, yet they demanded you come get her... Sigh... Sometimes I think people in some of these organizations forget why they are there. Sigh....

[Shadowkins]

Good for you... got rid of those uncaring folks. Is Daisy okay though? Is she home with you now? Poor little thing to be treated that way...give her an extra big hug from me.

[bigdoglover]

Some people in those types of positions think they have more power than they really do......yes, they are doing the dogs a favor by taking them in and caring for them, no doubt. But those that adopt from the shelter are doing them a favor as well, and she should not have been so demanding.

[ewarp]

I'm glad Daisy is safe and sound with you. That said... is it possible that there was a miscommunication? Is it possible that those folks at the shelter were having a bad day just like you? I know, they probably shouldn't have said what they did, but everyone makes mistakes.

I'm not neccesarily disagreeing with what you did (okay, well maybe a little), but did you you stop and put yourself in their shoes? If they're pushing that hard for you to come get your dog right then, there's got to be a reason.

Maybe they had strays that were brought in and didn't have any runs. Perhaps several dogs had just broken with upper repiratories and they wanted Daisy to avoid getting it. Maybe the general public was asking to visit with or adopt Daisy- I know from experience, people get really irate when the really cute dogs are on plain view but have notes that say "on hold" or "unavailable."

I've been in that situation... where if an adopter just bring their dog home NOW, we could take in that stray or that relinquishment and it wouldn't end up at the county pound with 96 hours to live. I hate telling that good samaritan who picked up the dog that we don't have room. That person knows exactly what happens at the other shelter.

I hardly think that this incident qualifies these people as uncaring or cruel. They were rude. Their people skills need some work. I don't think anyone anywhere can honestly say they've never been rude to someone. You got them fired on the basis that they were rude to you, although they were trying to do right by Daisy. Shelters are so stressful for dogs, and especially so as a dog attempts to recover from surgery. The dogs are nauseous and disoriented, the lights are bright, all the other dogs are barking, people are running by, all the noises, all the smells, all the germs.

Most adopters are chomping at the bit to bring their dogs home ASAP. If anything, they probably thought they were doing you a favor by moving Daisy up on the surgery schedule. Unfortunately, they weren't aware of your home renovation plans and it ended up not working out for the best. If they operate anything like we do, they schedule animal intake appointments for the next few weeks counting on a certain number of adoptions. When adoptions are slow, that means that dogs can't move out of quarantine. That means that dogs coming in have nowhere to go. Overpopulation like that puts all the animals at a higher risk of disease. It increases the stress in the environment on both humans and dogs. I can completely understand why they wanted Daisy out.

Shelter workers love animals, but it's certainly herd management. We have to do what is best for all the animals, not what's neccesarily best for a single adopter. It's unfortunate that they were less than pleasant in dealing with you, but there is always another side to the coin.

I wasn't on the phone, so I don't know exactly what was said and in what tone of voice. I certainly don't mean to point fingers, but this did hit close to home for me, so I figured I'd perhaps share the possible other side to the story. I guess... well... people don't get into the animal sheltering industry because they're cruel and rude. It's an industry with a very high burn-out rate, and sometimes, you can't help being rude. It's another dead kitten, it's another dog euthanized, it's yet another cardboard box suprise with a ferret/rabbit/cat/litter of kittens/puppy left outside the door. It's battling ringworm and giving it to your boyfriend accidentally. It's having poop on your hand and not knowing it and brushing the hair out of your face. It's having perpetually scabbed up and scarred hands from dealing with fractious cats all day.

Everyone always says not to judge without walking a mile in the other person's shoes. An animal shelter employees shoes are two sizes too small and falling apart. We keep at it because the scenery along our walk is amazing. It's still hard not to be crabby sometimes.

[Beryl]

They were rude. It is just that simple. You had scheduled to have the dog spayed on Tuesday so the soonest you should expect to get her would be Tuesday or even Wednesday. For them to call you on Saturday and demand anything is unreasonable. If they had a good reason -- like needing room for other dogs -- they should explained that to you and nicely asked you to come early.

Also, if they spayed the Daisy early, they should have called and told you that too.

They messed up and that is all there is to it. They had no right to DEMAND anything and should be thanking you for adopting Daisy.

I think I'm sensitive about this because of what I experienced last night at a homeless shelter for adults. This is my 3rd year as a volunteer. All of the other staff people are wonderful and respectful. However, one particular staff member was rude to me and was rude to one of the residents too. One of the residents joked that if it wasn't for people like him, they wouldn't have a job. Instead of just laughing it off, she had to snear and comment that she could easily get a job elsewhere.

I may reschedule my volunteer days because of her. The other staff members seemed to be over-polite because of her rudeness so I might hang in there. I've seen staff members either fired or forced out who were rude so she might not last very long anyway.

The point I'm making is that people who work at shelters need to be polite. They are not allowed to let their bad days cause them to be rude to the patrons or even the volunteers. Otherwise, they need to quit or take the day off. Heck, I work at a Fortune 50 company and I'd be fired if I was rude to my customers.

[fancychicken]

This was most definately NOT a miscommunication. Especially after recieving 4 phone calls at work. One call, ok miscommunication. But 4 come on. I feel badly they were fired. I was hoping for a stern reprimand and maybe banishement to poop duty. I am going to assume that maybe I was the staw that broke the Camels back with these 2 people.

Plus they lied to me. By telling me she was in her crate and not feeling well. One of the issues with Daisy is she cannot be in a crate. She will pull on the frame until she actually bends it. So at the shelter they had her in one of the offices. THAT"S where she was recovering, and I knew it.

I completely understand about over crowding and the influx of animals that come in , especially on the weekends. But that was still no excuse for the way I was treated. I almost told them to keep her. Thats how rude they were, that I was brought to the point of almost demanding my money back for a dog that needed a home and that I had spent 2 weeks with DAILY b4 I decided to bring her into my home.