Merry Christmas, everyone.
Work goes on, rain or shine.
Thankfully, Gerald did not disturb us last night. I was able to sleep early and get up early for a discussion on a fundraising activity with an old acquaintance. Although we run a small-scale operation in providing our neutering aid package to street caregivers, I still have to ensure we have sufficient funds to keep it running.
We don’t often make appeals for funds unless it is for medical cases where the cost is high. But from our experience, making urgent appeals for funds don’t really work. There was a case this year from Kulai where we did make an appeal and ended up with zero except for two donations (from ourselves!). We don’t want to leave the applicant stranded. Bills have to be paid to the vet. Owing vets is unfair to the vet because it’s not the vet who is doing the charity, it’s the caregiver. Once we pledge to help the caregiver, we must help.
We do have many silent followers on this blog and even more “top fans” and followers on our Facebook page, but we don’t have many donors. We have many “supporters” but not many donors. If all our blog and Facebook followers could just commit to RM5 a month, think of the how much that would already help. We tried the RM10 a month donation campaign, but we only got one response. Yes, only one person responded.
Luckily we are on TnG’s donation platform. Sometimes, we get 1 sen donations from there, still, it really makes a difference. We appreciate every single sen, given from the heart.
The adage that “money cannot buy happiness” is sometimes not true, especially in this day and age where money can buy so many things, including pet food, settle vet bills, medicines, etc.
The cost of living keeps going up. Salaries might not. People grow old and retire from their jobs. Vet bills have to go up because of the cost of living. We have now increased our vaccination aid to RM30. The reason we had to stop giving the aid for the booster is that applicants just don’t read our policies and it becomes very stressful having to ask them to resubmit. The policies are there, but they don’t read them (what else can we do when people just don’t read, I really don’t know). There is a reason for every policy statement because we have dealt with problems before.
I sometimes get scolded by applicants who say we are too strict. They want our money, but they scold us for imposing strict policies like insisting on the ear-notch. We don’t have a money tree growing in our backyard. Our funds come from years of being accountable and transparent to how funds are used. Policy adherence is important so that donors know exactly how their money is used. We have two very strict auditors too, whom I am very thankful for.
So, it is really not easy dealing with demanding applicants who want our money, but refuse to comply with policies. I have a personality that is easily affected by hostility and it taxes on my mental health. My husband cannot understand why I keep doing this. “It’s for the animals”, I show him the photos. Every animal neutered is thousands prevented from being born on the street to a hard life. Every animal vaccinated is reducing their chances of being infected by deadly diseases on the street.
But sorry for digressing.
So, as we come to the end of the year, here’s thanking all donors for your generosity throughout all these 15 years and counting!
Thank you so much for making it possible for us to continue helping street animals who will always need help.
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