AWL is gladly helping international people to find their
pet/rescue dog a new home. However, lately we have worked many hours, planing,
driving, arranging with information and interviewing/home-checking the possible
new family --- this is all time for which we get no salary and often pay out of
our own pockets.
We ask in return for the dog to be health-checked,
vaccinated and to go and arrange a passport, so that the transfer of their
family member to another deserving family is legal and goes smoothly.
Many of the dogs we help to find homes for end up in Northern Europe, which involves a great deal
of coordination between lots of people, and expense to drive or fly the dogs to
their ultimate home. Not to mention
crossing several borders with different laws and requirements.
Incredibly, some of the people who turn to us to help them
solve THEIR problem with THEIR pet, get frustrated at what we ask them to
do. All too often, they don't want to
take the responsibility they accepted when getting their pet in the first
place, don't want to take the time to do the adoption away correctly, and act
like we are burdening them with requirements.
Too often, they simply dump the pet.
Others, tell us its too much work, and they will find another solution
(which may well be dumping the pet).
After we have invested money and many hours, and not to mention the new
family who may have bought pet items and are looking forward to their new
family member --- WE have to call up and apologize to them, not the thoughtless
owner who feels that doing it right is "too hard".
For all our efforts in helping people to rehome their pet,
we ask for a donation, a small amount so the next pet we help can get the help it needs. But after so many hours, phone calls, driving
or flying miles and miles --- many whom we have helped simply ignore our
request, and suddenly do not answer the email/phone call. The ingratitude, irresponsibility, and just
plain rudeness is shocking!
I don't know about your parents, but we were always told
that when messing up, take responsibility for your actions and you solve it the
best way you can. When someone helps you, be polite and thankful. But I guess not everyone has learned this
lesson.
