Of Honesty, Sincerity, Goodwill And Trust – It Shows, It Shines

I just endured the most unpleasant encounters with not one, but TWO unreasonable and rather impolite applicants today. It’s very hard to communicating with such people. One was downright rude and thinks that we have no right to change our policies. She also refused to read the policy page. The other refuses to read whatever I had written in our communication and hurls unfair accusations at me because she jumps to conclusions of her own and puts words into my mouth. Doesn’t written communication mean that one should READ everything that is written BEFORE responding?  Seems not. It’s painful having to communicate with people like this and I wish we had a clause where I could just say, “Please…no more, could you please go elsewhere?”

However, I do feel bad that whenever I blog about applicants, it’s usually and often about those who are troublesome and impolite; this might give the impression that most applicants fall into such a category which is far from the truth, actually. We have the most pleasant, polite and understanding applicants too. In fact, many of them. The rude ones are more of an exception rather than the rule.

So, to be fair. I am going to write about both tonight. You would have seen from the subject of this post that it is going to be positive.

Let me start by informing all our donors and supporters that we constantly do our due diligence to ensure that our funds (from your donations) are put to the best possible use to help animals and their human caregivers who are honest and responsible.  We are now also very strict in ensuring that our funds only go to those who practise CNRM. This means that if the animals are not rehomed or adopted and they are returned to the colony, the applicant continues to care for the animals for the rest of their lives. Yes, CNRM means either rehome or the caregiver cares for the animal for life.

We are NOT helping those “rescuers” who trap/catch a street animal to be neutered, then throws the animal back on the streets to fend for him/herself. Some even throw them elsewhere and never bother about them again. These are the TNR-ers. Our funds are not going to such people at all.

So, as announced to all recent applicants in the last month or so, we have been asking every single applicant who applied to send us updates and latest photos of the previous animals we’ve helped in.

Here lies the BIG difference between those who are genuine, honest, sincere and use a proper system in their caregiving work and those who don’t.

We give the applicants only 24 hours to respond with updates and latest photos of their animals. Of course those who continue to feed them should be able to provide the photos in the next feeding and this is why the 24 hour deadline is fair. Indeed, the genuine applicants had no problems providing what was needed.  There was also no hint of any complaint either. Immediately, they said, “Yes, I will send you the photos by the deadline” and usually, the updates and photos arrived WAY before the deadline too.  The updates were filled with specific details as well, which again, is proof of the authenticity of the stories.

To these applicants, I salute you for your fullest cooperation and thank you very much for your goodwill and great work!

Now, on to the negative, such as the one whom I just dealt with.

When we ask for photos the previous animals, the complaints are numerous:

1. I don’t know what has happened to the animals. Some are lost, some got killed, some got caught.
2. I have given them up for adoption and have lost touch with every single one of the adopters. (Really? Every single one?)
3. I will need one week to take photos of the animals. (Why one week if you are feeding every day?)  You think it’s easy to take photos?  (Yes, I think it’s easy, I can put the food down and take the photos, can’t I?  Why is it so hard?)

And the list goes on….

And as in tonight’s encounter, I merely suggested, as proof of adoption that the applicant take a photo of the adopter and animal NEXT TIME and she shot back immediatly, “How am I supposed to know I had to take photos of the adopter???”  Well, well, puan, I am telling you now to do it NEXT TIME, aren’t I?  Lain kali, puan tak faham ke?  Over this remark, “Don’t you understand that I said “next time”?”, she shot back and asked me to mind my language!  Wow…asking for our money and being so arrogant? That’s the classic entitled attitude, isn’t it? There is also no need to to get all defensive over this suggestion as I was only trying to help you so that you can continue applying from us. Otherwise, you have no proof that the animals were adopted and you say you have lost touch with every single one of the adopters, then how are we going to help you, right? Our funds are only for CNRM-ers, not the TNR-ers.

So, here I was, trying to help her so that she can be eligible for our aid, but she shot down everything I said and also most unreasonably, because she shot back without even finishing reading what I had written.

Conversely, I just dealt with another applicant a few days ago, and guess what, when I asked for photos of his previous animals, he immediately OFFERED (without me asking) to ask the adopters to send him photos of the animals who had been adopted.  The adopters were in another state.  He had kept in touch with them.  The next day, he was supposed to give me the photo of one dog in a colony before 5pm whom he feeds.  He usually feeds the dog every morning but it was raining that morning. So, he took photo of the rain (as proof) and promised to get me the photo by 6pm on the same day as he could only do it after work. He asked very politely for a one-hour extension. Such decent courtesy, isn’t it? Such respect for rules, what more can I ask for?  It’s such a pleasure to work with such nice people.

So, I rest my case.

There are clearly those who are nice and those who aren’t.  Those who have a proper system of doing things and those who do not and refuse to learn.  Those who are genuine, truthful and honest and those who are clearly lying and worming their way out.

I wasn’t born yesterday.  I know a lie when I hear one.  The stories will just keep changing because a liar would have to create another lie to cover up the first lie.

So, as the saying goes, honesty IS the best policy.

And then, there are also those who are very lackadaisical and expect me to remind them of everything that THEY are required to do.  They are not new applicants; they have applied umpteen times, but they couldn’t be bothered to remember anything. They will keep sending in non-compliant applications, receipts without full names, receipts without the stamp and signature of the vet, applications without write-up about the animals, forget to ear-notch, etc. I am tired of dealing with them and truly, it isn’t my responsibility to keep reminding them and going back and forth with them on what to do. I wish I could just throw the non-compliant applications straight into the trash and be done with it. The desperate ones will appeal to be allowed to resubmit. Fine you may resubmit, but what if their application arrived on the deadline? And why so? Because they posted late. And why did they post so late? Because they were “too busy”.

As a teacher, we were told during training not to use the word “lazy” to describe a student as it is derogatory. After 32 years of teaching, I don’t mince my words anymore, lazy is lazy, but I will let Indy say it for me here:

So, to all our honest, polite, sincere and hardworking applicants, we thank you so much for the goodwill, understanding and cooperation. It’s a pleasure and our honour working with you!

To those who are not, looks like our values differ greatly, so perhaps it might be better you go elsewhere to get what you need? And spare me the rudeness, stress and heartache, please? I am only human. For all the hard work and effort that I put in to raise funds to help you, I don’t have to take @#$$% from you. So, please go far away and find your own kind.

Birds of the same feather flock together, you know.

As a friend always says to me: “You don’t have to put up with such rude and unpleasant people. I know you have always put the animals first, but you have to take care of your own sanity too. There are always polite, honest, decent and nice caregivers to help. For every nasty applicant, there are ten nice ones waiting in line. Help the nice ones.”

You know what? This friend is absolutely right!

Source: https://myanimalcare.org/2019/05/04/of-honesty-sincerity-goo..

Tweet

AnimalCare

AnimalCare is a registered society that promotes caregiving to street animals and helps in their neutering and medical needs. AnimalCare has a Medical Fund, Food Fund and Education Fund.

More Articles   |   Pets For Adoption   |   Website