So this post was originally crafted back in January on my personal Facebook wall… It was essentially a 1-line rant that, due to me not shutting up, ended up turning into a 20-point rescue manifesto-type thing.
I don’t know exactly what sent me into it, but it was plenty of built up frustration over all that I had experienced since first taking shelter photos and immersing myself into this rescue world. To be honest, being online and getting tagged in hundreds of different rescue scenarios–you see plenty of wild stuff… And plenty of it is of a very quick and careless nature. Not only that, but I’ve also seen it play out locally as well, so it was probably prompted by a combination of just seeing how not very responsible certain people are capable of being.
More directly, there’s a fine line you walk when wanting so badly to help all the animals you can, and then balancing that with what you are capable of concerning the animals that you may already have… And for a few of us it’s very easy to tilt that responsibility and all that “should” go into it for a chance to save 1 more dog, and then 1 more, and so forth… Some people get taken advantage of, some overwhelmed, others just lose perspective on the process–but it all opens the doors for sloppy mishaps, and who then suffers? The animal.
Just to be clear: Save as many animals as possible, I’m all in favor of that… But do it responsibly, be accountable–if not for yourself and your reputation, then for the animal’s safety! As they should always come first regardless, yes? And what happens if you get out of control and do your reputation harm? Well then people take note and it minimizes your ability to legitimately help those animals going forward, even if you learned your lesson prior…
Bottom line… It seems as though sometimes rescue work gets treated like an assembly line, where checks and balances are forgotten for the draw of saving another. People just need to do their due-diligence, to protect the animals they do have, or else they may sloppily throw something together where the animal then ends up in a more dire strait than it was in while in the shelter… What follows is essentially my explosion on anything relatable to this topic, and what I thought was relevant in that moment…
~Josh Liddy // 1/3/2011 // SwayLove.org
01) If you want a dog and then are asked for a reference, give the reference! No one is too big to not be properly verified as legitimate. Your reputations do not precede you in this. If you think that your shit doesn’t stink, got news for you, it does–everyone’s does. If you disagree with this then you have simply lost sight of what is important and you need to go back to the drawing board ASAP.
02) If you want a dog and then are asked for a verifiable environment check, give that check… Allow your area to be deemed as appropriate or safe by the person currently caring for that animal. It’s only meant to protect the animal and is rather simple and not intrusive at all.
03) If you are in the position as a citizen/puller/rescue/etc. to pass off an animal, and then are not doing 01) and 02) prior to passing off said animal, then you are being highly irresponsible.
04) If you are a puller, and yet the dog you are about to pull does not have a legitimate plan in place, with checks made and ducks in a complete and structured row, then do not pull the dog… Unless of course you yourself are going to foster the dog while said things are completed.
05) If you are a puller, and yet are then not doing your due-diligence to make sure that the animal that you pulled is fully accounted for at all times, then you are simply failing at your responsibility.
06) If you would rather censor other people’s opinions by deleting/blocking/badgering people to do said things, instead of simply explaining yourself out in the open and then standing on your own opinions/actions, then you are not cut out for doing this (or any) important/meaningful work in the way that it should be done.
07) If you cannot take criticism without getting confrontational, if you cannot take criticism without running to others to defend you, if you cannot take criticism without clearly defending your position and then proceeding to rationally respond to anything that follows, then you are not cut out for doing this (or any) important/meaningful work in the way that it should be done.
08) If you are commenting about a dog in a picture or a video, and are proceeding to ask questions that can be answered by you simply taking 30 seconds of initiative, then damn it, take the initiative. It goes a long way and speaks volumes to your sincerity.
09) If you are commenting about a dog in a picture or a video, and all you can add to the comments are whiny statements i.e. “Why is no one saving this dog yet?” — My advice to you is this: Get off of your butt and save the dog yourself. Make a call. Send an email to a rescue. Google something. Share a post. Drive down to a local shelter and pet the dogs in your area. Take their pictures. Tag people. Compliment the animal or just make a simple silent prayer for its well-being. Do anything besides sitting behind a keyboard and berating others for not doing anything, when you yourself are not doing anything.
10) If you are wanting to save an animal, but yet live across the country without a way or a desire to pay for any potential pull/vetting/boarding/transport, then be prepared to not only do 01) and 02) to the fullest extent that may be requested, but to also take part in helping to raise those funds and then making life as easy as possible on the people that actually raise those funds for you.
11) If you post things like “I am done with rescue” every time the wind blows in the wrong direction, then you are clearly not passionate enough to just keep plowing forward regardless of the situation. It silently says a lot.
12) If you have a disagreement with someone that you are working closely with, please contact them directly. It saves a lot of time and is a way to illustrate that we are actually all adults. It’s also responsible and eliminates hearsay or opinionated versions from 3rd parties.
13) If you are ever above saying that you are sorry, admitting that you made a mistake, owning up to said mistakes, or simply just reaching out to someone to hear their side of the story, even while intending to air your own grievances back (and even if it’s inevitable that you will never totally agree)… It’s sometimes still appropriate, and that lack of action speaks loudly to your character, or lack thereof. If you are above this basic exercise in humility, based in respect and open communication, then you may just want to rethink your approach.
14) If rescue A and rescue B cannot seriously come together and eradicate any road blocks that were manifested purely by egotistical means, then you have simply lost sight of what is important and you need to go back to the drawing board.
15) If for whatever reason you feel that you are ethically obligated to ever speak up, about anything, then do so. Because if it gets to that point, then you must believe in your heart that you are doing the right thing… On the other hand, if your concerns were to be knowingly misplaced, or based in jealousy, or based in vindictiveness, or based in ego, or all of the other ugly human traits that we are all susceptible to at one point or another… You would simply then run into someone who holds 06) and 07) in high regard and those things would be clearly seen through by your peers.
16) If you treat the rescue world with a clique mentality, then you are treating it like it’s a game and like you are a child. You should be able to form your own opinions and not just have opinions that fall in line with other people whom you may in some way be affiliated with, personally or professionally. If someone you respect says or does something that you disagree with, you should have no problems with respectfully stating as much. And you should also want to be held by that same standard, which would obviously keep you accountable.
17) If you are a bystander or uninvolved in a situation, do not then blindly insert yourself like a keystone cop and create a fabricated version of what was reality. This is Facebook, and rumor travels fast. But if you still cannot contain yourself, just know that at the end of the day you will most likely take the fall after someone who cherishes 06) and 07) thoroughly makes a fool out of you.
18) Human ego and self-glorification should never come anywhere near trumping an attempt at safely and efficiently carrying out an animal’s rescue. Never. Ever. Solo or amongst 20 different people. Never. Never. Ever.
19) Keep the line of communication open to those that are intimately involved with your rescue attempt… Be it assets/helpers/funders/supporters… As they are what, in tandem with your own actions, then builds your name and your reputation. If you take advantage of those people by misrepresenting yourself when using certain tools of the trade, then you are also discrediting those outlets as a whole for everyone… This usually results in less new people coming to the table who are willing to trust, and ultimately less lives that you are able to save.
20) Finally… If you have a problem with the bluntness, or feel offended by anything that I’ve said, then (I’m sorry, but) that kind of speaks for itself. I am just a photographer who does everything that I do in order to maybe have the chance to affect 1 Pit Bull’s life in a positive way. Thankfully I’ve already done that, so everything beyond this is just a pleasure that is very embraceable. I love what I do, because I love more than anything in the entire world who I did it for, and who I continue to do it for.
It was also requested that I make this a PDF document so that others could download, and you can do that by clicking HERE.