22/04/2024
💔 The truth behind Animal Welfare 💔
Pull up a chair, take just 5 minutes from your busy schedule and please read.
Every single word,
every single challenge,
every single plea,
every single heartache,
every single emotion -
is what ALL WELFARES go through.
From breed specific, to cross breeds, from dogs to cats to critters - SAME applies.
And yet entitlement is the new norm. No one wants to raise their hand to help. We all do this VOLUNTARY. Because its a calling, its a purpose.
Its just heartbreaking to have to endure all this 24/7, 365days a year. And no one has time to dedicate and COMMIT their skills/efforts/time to the cause - THE PAWS. Do you???
Whatsapp 0835055193
Hi, I am Riaan.
I am the treasurer and committee member of Adora-Bull Bull Terrier, Adora-Bull Rescue and Rehabilitation. I have been doing this for 8 years now. During that time, I have seen the worst of humanity, but also witnessed many miracles. I have seen dogs in the most atrocious circumstances rise from the ashes like a phoenix.
Today is not a good day. I need to rant. So this is my rant. I hope you will read the entire message but make yourself a cup of coffee and get comfortable. If you are not prepared to hear the truth, then move on.
I ask you not to judge Adora-Bull for my words. I will put my mobile number at the end if you feel you have something to say to me or disagree. These are my thoughts, feelings and questions. So, take it out on me, no one else. But I do hope you grasp what I'm trying to convey as a whole, and not just paraphrase me.
The Challenges We Face
Louise said something very true the other day: People who do more than you will never criticise what you do. But you will always be criticised by the people who do less than you.
If you want to be bullied daily, blackmailed, sometimes cry yourself to sleep, be emotionally drained almost every day, want to hate people, and crave trauma in your life - join a rescue.
Yesterday, for 2 hours, I was searching fields for a reported stray bull terrier. A Bullie that everyone sees and reports to us, but no one just stops to pick her up and take her to a vet.
While I was stressed trying to find the stray, I got an passive-aggressive message from someone that had asked us to help rehome her dogs. She was telling me that my services were no longer required as the sender said she could see we wouldn't get along. My services, as if I was getting paid?! For weeks, I was trying to assist her. I had found a home, and she cancelled the meet and greet. The following week, when I wanted to set it up, I was informed that she had gotten a home for one of her dogs. Against my advice, she went ahead and did her own thing. Before then, I asked for photos of her other dog, which she never sent.
I have a full-time job and do rescue work after hours and on weekends. And I got this message after I didn't answer her back quick enough. I had already wasted enough time and effort on her, just for her to give an unsterilised male away. How would you deal with someone like this? How do you not let this type of attack affect you?
Then we also get people whose homes have not been approved for various reasons, accusing us of keeping the dogs in kennels and not really wanting to rehome them due to financial gain.
People who have the audacity to say (or think) that we get paid to do this (like the woman mentioned above). That we are there to give them "exceptional customer service".
NEWSFLASH: WE DON'T GET A CENT! We are volunteers. Dania, who founded Adora-Bull, does not take a salary from this rescue, and she works 24/7/365. Believe me, if you think rescue is lucrative, then you are sorely misguided.
As treasurer, I challenge anyone to come see our books. We are audited yearly. We've also had situations where we had to use our own credit cards to keep the rescue going. Simply put, we are not doing this for money; we are doing this for the Bull Terriers!
I personally have driven more than 150,000 kilometres in the last 6 years to home dogs all over South Africa. It's disheartening when you drive to the coast with dogs, only to have people wanting to send the dog back after 3 days due to their human error or their unwillingness to put in the work. Not even giving the Bullie a chance to settle.
We at Adora-Bull aren't perfect; we do get it wrong sometimes. But we stand by our point that we will never put a dog in a situation where it might fail or cause harm to people or existing pets.
Having a dog needing to come back to the kennels is just as traumatic for them as it is for us. Unfortunately, 95% of dogs coming into rescue need to be only dogs that will never be able to live with another animal. Yet people doubt our intensions, and say we do not know what we are doing.
The Emotional Toll
I have personally gone and taken dogs that couldn't be saved, like Rain and Gracie, spent time with them, showed them love and care (for some, it was the first time ever), and held them as they left this world. I cried and mourned over them. We at Adora-Bull suffer the loss of every Bullie that didn't reach us in time, not the people who abused or discarded them. We all have done this numerous times, and it never gets easier.
I am not ashamed to say that I myself have had to go into therapy to deal with everything I've seen in rescue on a daily basis. The trauma. I have PTSD. Trauma, dealing with my own issues of rejection and abandonment that obviously I see daily with these dogs. It's a trigger for me.
I do not know how Dania, Louise and Claire, who have been doing this far longer than myself, are still standing and still willing to fight for this breed every day. As a man, I cannot stomach rescue sometimes, but these ladies are as solid as a rock carrying this rescue. They are the backbone of sanity in this rescue. But even rocks do crack.
We have to deal with these entitled, selfish people who make it all about themselves and not the dogs. How can they expect us to be nice to them if they don't care what happens to the dog nor put any effort in to help us help them? We get verbally abused and emotionally blackmailed daily.
People say we have attitudes and have no respect. Respect is earned! If we say something people don't like, we are the big bad rescue that are rude and incompetent. If we don't act quick enough to their liking, we don't care for the breed as much as we claim.
We are constantly bashed for judging people's personal circumstances, just because we ask questions or tell them they actually failed their dog. Some people can't fathom the idea that they, their expectations of the dog, or their kids were actually the problem. These are the people who have an issue with our so-called "customer service". People that expect us to do things for free and solve their problems, without so much as a thank you.
We have numerous documents spelling out our processes, contracts and policies, but that doesn't mean anything to people. People just expect the perfect dog to fit in without any effort.
Ask yourself if you'll be able to stay calm if you get 5 calls a day about giving up a bull terrier, if you have to worry about 60 dogs in the kennels and a further 12 in boarding kennels, with an extra-long list of awaiting dogs to come in. Ask yourself how you would stay sane. How would your "supposed customer service" be at that point? If you think you can handle this, have the stomach and patience to get the information we need and talk to people, to get people to buy into our processes, then please put your hand up.
The Rewarding Moments
Adora-Bull was created for the dogs like Stanley, Billy, Russel, Bowie, Shiloh, Odin (to name a few), and all the abused and neglected dogs. Our reward is seeing these dogs come from and through hell, get stronger and happier, learn to trust again, and finally be rehomed in homes that see the love and value in them and treat them like family - not a garden ornament or security system that wasn't appreciated by the people who harmed them in the first place.
But over the last few years, we have become a rehoming service. Don't get me wrong, we have nothing against, nor do we judge people who need to rehome their dogs. Yes, we do understand a lot of people are emigrating, that many are financially suffering and forced to downscale, that people die.
But getting rid of a dog because you got a puppy or had a baby is just not acceptable. We will never turn our back on a Bulie where the owners ask us to rehome and then work with us, and buy into our processes that are proven to work and protect the dog. The owners that you can really see are shattered by this decision and put in the effort to drive to meet and greets, change plans to consider us, those that help us help them - we will do everything in our power to assist these people.
I have made so many new friends through rescue, people who have adopted from Adora-Bull, that I have come to care for as family. And I am grateful for them. We had one family who had 2 female bull terriers that waited almost a year for the right dog. It took 12 meet and greets with different dogs, and finally, they got a male to add as their 3rd bull terrier. Throughout that time, they were patient, never gave up hope, and trusted our judgement. This is one example of MANY where we have successfully rehomed bull terriers.
Then you get those families who get a puppy after one meet and greet that didn't work, or spent a few weeks on our list. And that is fine, I can live with that. But what I can't live with are the people who waste our valuable time and resources.
People who are impatient, who do not listen to our advice, who think they know the breed better and can set any dog right! People who tell us what we should and shouldn't do. We cannot carry the emotional blackmail around anymore for every dog out there whose owners contacted us for help and for whatever reason didn't let us rehome the dog or follow our processes, who didn't like what we said and then threatened us with the dog's life and just gave the dog away.
For those that are not willing to lift a finger to assist us in doing what's best for their pet. People who use us as a free rehoming service and treat us like dirt. They got that pet; how can they just discard it like a rubbish bag? For years, I've wondered what happened to those dogs, and I stressed.
And I guarantee you, the people who dumped their dogs just like that never lost one minute of sleep at night worrying about their dog that they promised to care for, but we all in rescue have lost many nights of sleep wondering. We are dealing with a power breed. If you privately rehome your dog and the dog bites someone, you can still be held liable, especially if you lied about its history.
And believe me, these people lie to us daily; they lie to absolve themselves of any guilt and also to get rid of the animal as quickly as possible. They believe that by telling us what they think we want to hear, we will act quicker. We pick up dogs from fight clubs, starved to death, side of the road, dogs that p*e themselves when you come near them. But we must stay quiet.
How You Can Help
We need help! We are fighting a never-ending uphill battle that is drowning us. If you love animals and want to see them flourish, see how they settle in a new home, how they see love for the first time, accept it and the joy from getting kindness, if you have any compassion, I want to extend an invitation to anyone that wants to contribute to put their hand up.
We don't necessarily need people to come to kennels to help. We need people who can do admin, who can make phone calls. Also, help us online with Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, or who are Facebook influencers that can help us spread the word. Even run our online store for us. People who want to help document cases, do photos or videos. People that can do a vet trip every now and then (Cape Town, Johannesburg or Pretoria mostly).
People who can do home checks, help with fundraising, help at markets, people who can make stuff to sell for funds etc. People that can do a collection of donated goods once a month and bring it to the kennels. Tradespeople who have services they can offer us on a donation basis. People that can build, do maintenance, cut grass etc. People who do not care for ego boosts and drama. People who are in it to make a difference in the lives of our dogs and the Bull Terrier breed.
A few weeks back, one of our prominent donors stopped donating. Louise called and was verbally bashed on that call. Why? Because we don't send out a monthly newsletter to show where the money goes and show what we do. This from a person that has been to our kennels and seen firsthand what we do. But then I think, just look at Facebook! So if you are a freelance writer, editor or want to help us with a monthly newsletter for our supporters, please stick your hand up and help us.
Get in contact with me. We will send you a volunteer form to provide us with the details of services you would like to offer. Obviously, we have to plan this, as we cannot just have one day where 50 people show up at the kennels; we need to do this right and by appointment when you can help.
You have to remember that Dania and Claire live on the property, and although we greatly appreciate every donation and interest in what we do, people can't just turn up unexpected at the kennels and expect them to drop everything and show them around any hour of the day.
We are broken. Even if you are a therapist/counsellor who is willing to give some time to us to help us deal with our trauma and PTSD. If you are a trainer or behaviourist that wants to donate an hour or two a month, we would be glad for the help. We need people like this all over South Africa, in every town and city. We only have Dania. We depend on her, but she cannot drive all over as she needs to be at the kennels.
Why We Keep Going
I ask myself daily, "Why do you put yourself through this?" And I find the answer in my own 2 rescue bullies' eyes. I find it in every Stanley, Billy, Russel, Bowie, Shiloh, Odin. I find it when you see them improve, smile, and wag their tails. I find it in every dog we have rehomed successfully to a loving family. I find it in the good people that have helped us and other animals.
I find it in my own soul, knowing I did something that made a difference, even if it is just a droplet in the ocean. I have always maintained that my day job pays my mind and my bills, but rescue pays my soul. As much as this soul has been crushed and bludgeoned, it has soared and triumphed. Believe me, the rewards in rescue outweigh the hard times. The good side of rescue comes from the dogs, and the bad side mostly from the people you have to deal with.
So if you want to be amazed by the resilience of animals, see the love and compassion humans can give, see miracles of the bond between man and dog, join a rescue.
Our Final Plea
If you've taken the time to read this whole post, I want to thank you. I hope I gave you some food for thought. But I also hope you repost this. And if you know someone who needs to rehome or give up their dog, no matter what breed, please tell them to do it responsibly and work with a rescue organisation.
Tell them it's not about their ego; it's about what is best for their pet. Tell them to help and be kind to the rescuers assisting them. To put in the effort.
The key takeaways I want to emphasise are:
1. Rescue work is emotionally and physically draining, but also incredibly rewarding when we see dogs get a second chance at a happy life.
2. We desperately need more volunteers and support to continue our mission of saving bull terriers. There are many ways to help beyond hands-on work at the kennels.
3. If you or someone you know needs to rehome a dog, please do so responsibly by working with a rescue. It's about putting the dog's needs first.
Together, we can make a difference in the lives of these deserving dogs. One dog at a time, one day at a time. That's what keeps us going. Thank you for listening and for your support.
As promised, here is my cell number: 072 192 7777
If you have taken offense or disagree with what I have said, feel free to call me. BUT, also be wiling to put your time where your mouth is and come spend a week in our shoes.
