12/18/2024
This was posted by Dog It Dig It Rescue. This is so true Exactly. Copied from another rescue. I have flat out told people, don't do it! Plus, I hope you enjoy people telling you how awful you are, and judge your every move. They have no clue. No matter how hard you try, someone will always tell you how worthless you are, how you are doing this or that wrong. Maybe they should start a rescue... since they have all the answers. I will never be perfect. I just have to keep doing the best that I can. 13 years of my life has been consumed by this. It is hard, it does rip your heart out often, you hate people,, but try to be nice to get the dog to safety. It is exhausting on days that you are really sick, but the dogs are still counting on you. Longest resident to find a home was 9 years!! Longest resident 12 1/2 years. So many seniors that no one wants. Small males dogs that are constantly looked over for fear they will hike their leg in the home. But we stay committed to them, because we took them in. They will be well cared for until it is their time. Don't do it people. I have had No Days Off of being a volunteer. Working full time at a job while having the rescue. Just don't do it. Help an existing rescue. Don't put them down, they are trying.
People contact me all the time saying "I really want to start my own rescue, can you give me some advice on getting started?"
Heres my advice:
If you ever want a day for the rest of your life where you don't have major stressors and emergency situations to deal with, don't do it.
If you ever want a single moment to do anything for your own family or yourself, don't do it.
If you ever want a sliver of peace in your life, don't do it.
If you ever want to be able to spend time with your own pets, your kids, your fiends, don't do it.
Because rescue will take everything from you. EVERYTHING. There isn't a moment of peace. Ever. There's never a day to relax. Ever. There is no getting away from it and there is no end to the countless pleas for help, tragic stories, begging for funds to stay afloat, vet visits, more vet visits, people saying they will help but then don't, failed adoptions, unexpected sickness, and the list goes on forever. Rescue will consume your entire life. It will chew you up and spit you out. And just when you think you are making headway, you have a few dollars saved, you're caught up on things and can have a little break, rescue laughs and reminds you that you are his bitch and he will never give you a break. And just for thinking that, rescue will give you a sick dog to spend thousands of dollars on, to teach you again that you'll never be able to save any funds, you'll never buy that property, build that shelter, or do anything to improve the situation, not with rescue breathing down your neck. Just don't do it.
So what can you do if you don't want all of that? You can foster for an existing rescue. You will still be making a tremendous difference, but you won't have to deal with the day in and day out stress of running a rescue. Because it is not as easy as you think it is. It's not easy at all. It's the hardest thing I've ever done. I'm glad I'm a rescuer, but I would be lying if I said I don't feel like giving up on everything sometimes. Some days, like the last few, I want to quit. But there is no quitting. And crying is for wimps. So I just suck it up and keep on keeping on. But you don't have to. I know everyone wants to save the world. But we can't, and I would hate to see anyone else die trying. Thanks for coming to my TedTalk. Pic of Vito just because.
