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Post by RealPitBull on May 11, 2010 10:59:07 GMT -5
...foster a dog for RPB's Karma Dog Initiative!
Fosters in the north-central NJ area are needed. This is a unique program that goes beyond foster-to-permanent placement; it is a public relations and outreach campaign meant to shed a new, shining light on the APBT!
Get involved today! We need spokespeople who can be partners for our spokesdogs!
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Post by catstina on May 11, 2010 15:12:01 GMT -5
I wish I could do it! Unfortunately, I'm up in Maine. I have a question about foster dogs though. After you find a dog a home do you tell the foster parents that the dog was adopted? I fostered my Benny for two and a half months and then when he went back to the shelter they wouldn't tell us if he was adopted or not. It's been difficult not knowing (they aren't no kill shelter), I just like to imagine he found a great home. Any way, I'm just wondering if this is common practice. I hope you find fosters!
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Post by RealPitBull on May 12, 2010 7:31:11 GMT -5
It's not common practice, and I really couldn't even guess why the shelter had that policy. It's very odd to me. Foster parents become very attached to their foster dogs and want to know what happens to them once they leave and go to their forever homes. It seems cruel to me to prevent them from knowing what happened.
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Post by catstina on May 13, 2010 22:35:49 GMT -5
Yeah, it's been very difficult not knowing if he was adopted. I just want to know if he found a home, I don't want to know their name or address or anything. They never put him back up on the website, so I have no way of knowing what happened. I called them the day after we brought him back to check up on him and they said they have a confidentiality policy and it was inappropriate for me to call. They never told me about it until that day. Because I had found out they weren't a no kill shelter, I told them about a shelter my ex-employer owns that caters to pits and pit-type dogs. Then the lady said, "we would rather euthanize a problem dog than pass him off to an other shelter." I don't know if she was referring to Benny because he had no big behavior problems and would have been perfectly adoptable, but it was very disturbing. It's been almost five months (we gave him back on Dec. 19th of '09) and I'm just not over it yet. I don't know if I'll ever be. I don't know, sorry that I'm rambling, it's just been difficult. That's why I really haven't talked about it much. It's really painful for me to think about it. I miss him so much.
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Post by RealPitBull on May 14, 2010 10:02:55 GMT -5
I am sooo sorry, it must be very, very difficult for you not knowing. Thank you for sharing. This is just such an unfair situation, and I am appalled that this shelter would put you through this.
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Post by suziriot on May 14, 2010 13:38:14 GMT -5
Christina, that is just awful. I'm so sorry!
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Post by sugar on May 14, 2010 14:44:00 GMT -5
I can understand i a shelter didn't want to give you a name/address (even though you didn't want it) but for them to not even tell a foster parent what happened is just cruel (and the fact they told you your call was 'inappropriate' is beyond words level of awful.) Maybe there is a director of the shleter or someone super high up you could talk to?
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Post by catstina on May 14, 2010 16:02:35 GMT -5
They just never told us about their confidentiality policy until we called to check up on him. It was awful. They treated us like criminals. I contacted the Executive Director of the shelter and he said, "Following receipt of your note on Monday I did speak with our Shelter Manager Bobbi when she started her work week on Tuesday. In discussions with her it is clear to me that the issues, concerns, and appropriate apologies have been made with the individuals involved in this unfortunate matter." The Director of the Animal Welfare Program in the Department of Agriculture for the State of Maine told me to contact all of the members of the board of directors for the shelter. I feel like that may be taking it too far, though. What do you guys think?
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Post by suziriot on May 14, 2010 16:57:13 GMT -5
It's my personal (and professional) philosophy that all organizations that receive public funding and/or have a responsibility to the community that they serve must be held accountable for their policies and practices. You were a volunteer for the organization and have valid concerns about your experience. It's the Board's responsibility to oversee the governance of the organization - the Executive Director answers directly to them. So I think it's absolutely appropriate to bring your concerns to the Board. However, be warned that you'll most likely meet the same dead end with them. My guess is that their Board is either completely aware of these practices and they don't care, or they are completely under the thumb of the Executive Director and kept in the dark.
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Post by catstina on May 15, 2010 22:16:02 GMT -5
If it wouldn't really get me anywhere I don't know if I want to go through it again. They probably wouldn't do anything about it any way. I've just been missing him terribly lately.
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Post by suziriot on May 16, 2010 11:00:18 GMT -5
I think writing a letter describing the details of what happened would be worth it. If the Board doesn't know what's going on, this might be the only way they'll ever be told the truth about what's going on. It might help you heal as well, to know that you've done everything you could to find answers about Benny. Your story really gets under my skin. I am SO sorry.
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Post by catstina on May 16, 2010 19:05:25 GMT -5
It's just that every time I write a detailed heartfelt letter describing what happened and the way we were treated and get rejected, it just feels like the whole thing is happening over again. You are right, though. If they weren't told about the situation (or the whole story about it) they may be surprised and then something good would come of it. I'll write out a letter and see what I think then. Thank you for the help and support. If you like, I can pm a copy of it to you (it's a really long story so posting it would be a bit much I think).
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