It’s always the humans who give us pain

In this kind of volunteer work that we do, the animals bring us so much joy, but some humans bring us so much pain…

It is sometimes very tiring dealing with humans who do not understand that we have our limitations and there are some things that we just cannot provide.

We started with just one mission – to help in the spaying and neutering of stray animals so that they will not breed uncontrollably.  We are only a small group of friends, and that is all we can do.  Inevitably, we ended up doing rehoming, adoptions and funding medical treatments and surgeries because there was a need for that.  

But we are not a shelter or a sanctuary, and we cannot take in your rescued animals.  We do not have any space at all.  Our volunteers foster some animals at home, within our capacity.  

So we need to draw the line when people insist that we take in their rescued animals. I’m sorry we can’t, because we do not have any space for that.   

We also have no expertise in rescue work, yet there are people who insist that we go to a certain location and rescue the animals they have spotted.

I believe there are other groups of animal-lovers who might offer these services because they have the know-how. 

“If you don’t rescue, it will die” – I have heard this countless of times already. It’s called emotional blackmailing. And when I ask why they cannot do it themselves, there would be many reasons provided.

I also have people who reprimand me for adopting the kittens that I rescue.  They said I should instead put them up for adoption so that I can foster other kittens.  So you see, the fact that I adopt kittens from the street is also wrong in their eyes.  Ultimately, if people want to find faults with you, they will blame you for anything and everything that you do.  Nothing you do is right in their eyes.  “You shouldn’t adopt, you should just foster” – they want to dictate what I should do with my life?  We need fosterers as much as we need adopters.  Fostering is for a short period.  Adopting is for life.  I choose the latter, and it is my choice.       

I remember receiving a phonecall from a lady who insisted that we had a shelter even though I said we did not.  She said she saw it in our brochure, and when I told her it was our own house, she refused to believe me.  Anyway, she just wanted to dump some animals on us.  

Ever since we started, we have not refused anyone who has come to us for the spaying-neutering of stray animals as long as we still have funds.  And we work very hard at raising and maintaining our funds.  

You have no idea how many phonecalls, emails and text messages I receive in a day.  Some people are very understanding and grateful for what we can provide, but some are not.  Some tell us off when we cannot provide what they ask for, as though we owe them something.  Some tell us what we “should do” but they are not doing it themselves.   

Humans are such strange creatures. 

It is so much easier dealing with animals.