Slandering and bad mouthing Rescues/Shelters or other members - New policy

[marko]

In an effort to further protect the integrity of this board we will no longer permit the bad mouthing or slander of any shelter/rescue in an open forum. There is no real accountability for anonymous posters on the Internet, and yet the results to the individual rescues/shelters (without trial and jury) and to RESCUING IN GENERAL are disaterous. Private messaging will be the only way to go on this issue.

If you would like to know about a particular rescue or shelter or if you want to inform someone that posted a question, send a PM (private message) to that person.

If you want to warn people involved in rescue on our site about another person or organization then you may only do so by private messaging or by emailing those people directly, never in any open forum.

Yes there are bad rescues and bad shelters, yes they are in the minority, and YES they grab all the headlines. Bad mouthing 1 rescue damages ALL rescues. We want to encourage new pet owners to adopt from rescues/shelters NOT turn them off.

To anyone reading this please respect the new policy - No slander/badmouthing for any reason period.

Threads that break the rules will be closed and/or deleted without warning.

Any new cases that come up should be reported to myself
or one of the mods (Luckyrescue, Trinitie, dragonfly)


Thank you for your understanding,


Marko
ADMIN

[MegShawnMom]

We all need to remember that there are more than 1 side to a story.Yes thee are bad rescues/shelter and good honest ones. If somebody has a problem they should contact that resuce/shelter and express their concerns,but not in an aggressive/probing manner.Loose lips and premature actions can cause grief to many people and animals and possible legal action. Nobody wants to sued,the lawyer bills ,time loss, worry alone would be tough to handle.
Thank you Marko, you said what had to be said to protect pets.ca

[mastifflover]

I agree with you Marko especially when you have no real proof you damage the rescue and the individual as well, and sometimes it can happen over a simple fixable mistake or misunderstanding. I think we need to keep this private until it is proven that a rescue or rescuer is not someone we would want anyone to deal with, but needs to be proven as in court beyond a reasonable doubt. But if someone or a rescue is scum I think we need to post so people know about these types.

[maddoxies]

Agreed Marko. If someone has a question about the reputablility of a rescue (and let's face it, there are people out there calling themselves rescue, who really aren't), then a public question with pm responses only are one route, or pm directly to one of us in rescue, to check out credentials.

Also, maybe we need anoher icon for messages. A bucket of cold water, to cool some of the more heated "discussions"

At least, you cannot say that we are not passionate about rescue, just sometimes that passion gets loose.....

[GsdDiamond]

Glad to see that happen. "He said/she said" helps nobody.

[BMDLuver]

I agree with LR. These kind of sudo hinting posts only hurt the animals looking for the homes they so desperately need. Legitimate proof with paperwork back up is much harder to ignore. A poster with a real name means you stand by what you are saying to the bitter end. Try to remember that these kinds of posts help no one but harm many. All of us appreciate the work and dedication to make this board a place of knowledge and facts. Well done to those that work so hard to keep it this way.

[Little Angels]

I agree with all said. All of us who work in rescue do what we do in our spare time. Between our family obligations, full time jobs, and running our homes. On top of all that we have a very strong passion for the animals we help. If it were not for the people who are serious about rescue and the care of these animals, where would the poor souls be now.

By having someone come on this board and intentionally try and hurt a reputable rescue, is inturn unjustly causing harm to the animals involved. By spreading bad publicity.

I feel that if someone does have a problem with a rescue, they can always post the problem that they are having (without naming people and/or organizations) and ask for help dealing with the problem. If the topic needs to go further it can be done in a PM, or email.

[coppperbelle]

I am in total agreement.

Coppperbelle

[meb999]

completely agreed...the rescues are doing such an amazing job!
I do think it should be possible to 'out' the disreputable rescues...I didn't even know there was such a thing ( how can a 'rescue' not have a pet's best interest at heart??? ) Only with evidence in proof...not just rants! Alot of people (me inlcuded) come here for information on the different rescue organizations, it would be nice to know which ones to avoid. But NO ONE should discredit any organization without proof....


Added by ADMIN - We are not a court of law here. 'Evidence' is subjective.

If someone or an organization has been convicted (actually found guilty) by a court of law THAT is objective evidence.

[MegShawnMom]

Even "my bad experience" and"protecting my sources"is negative to rescue/shelters in their efforts to rehome animals.We must keep the
site positive and informative

[MegShawnMom]

If somebody has a problem with a rescue/shelter they should talk to them first and try to work out the problem. If we have a problem with a new car we go back to the dealer to work it out not the car dealer across the street.Again another rescue can only go on hearsay ans speculation.

[Lucky Rescue]

I didn't even know there was such a thing ( how can a 'rescue' not have a pet's best interest at heart??? )

It's really shocking how many animal abusers, brokers and collectors are out there, using these poor animals for their own personal agenda, or to make a quick buck. It's truly dispicable and they need to be exposed.

One way to do this is to email them and ask about their policies and procedures. If they say they will adopt an intact animal to you - even if they "give you 60 days to have it spayed/neutered" - that's one sign.

Another sign is if they usually have hard to find breeds around, lots of young Chis, Yorkies, "poo" type dogs, or other designer puppies.

Ask where these puppies come from, what vetting they've had and how much the adoption fee is, and if s/n is included in that fee. If the person gets angry and your questions or refuses to answer - that IS an answer.

NO reputable rescue will EVER adopt out an intact adult dog for ANY reason, and 60 days is plenty of time for someone to breed a dog!! Unless the rescuer moves in with the adopter, just how do they ensure the dog is not bred?

[meb999]

thanx for the info Lucky! Very helpfull...now I know that even with rescue, you gotta ask lots of questions!!

[MegShawnMom]

Not all humane societies are able to s/n their animals, many don't even do rabies. That one cat rescue send out cats with a voucher for $ off, are you saying they are not reputable ?

[Lucky Rescue]

That one cat rescue send out cats with a voucher for $ off, are you saying they are not reputable

I wonder how many of those cats are having litters, which end up back in a rescue or shelter? More messes for others to clean up. What is the reason these people are not spay/neutering?

The Montreal SPCA adopts out all animals intact, and gives out vouchers which many people don't bother with.

NO reputable rescue adopts out ANY adult animal intact, period. If they do, they are NOT reputable. No one takes home any of our cats intact, ever!

The goal of rescue is to reduce the number of unwanted animals, and the only way to be sure an animal will not be bred is to spay/neuter first.

If people cannot do rescue the right way, they shouldn't do it at all. By adopting out intact animals, they are PART of the problem instead of the solution.

[coppperbelle]

I volunteer with a rescue organization. All dogs that are adopted are spayed or neutered immediately upon being surrendered to us. They are also given their vaccinations if they do not have them. These dogs are assessed by volunteers and then prospective adopters are screened to make sure they are compatible with the breed of dog they are thinking of adopting.

[marko]

Thank you for your feedback all!

To anyone reading this please respect the new policy - No slander for any reason period.

Any new cases that come up should be reported to myself
or one of the mods (Luckyrescue, Trinitie, dragonfly)

Thanks as always for making this a great board!

[Trinitie]

Thread unlocked and updated on April 26, 2005.

With the new influx of threads related to puppy mills, this thread is a "must read" for all those who wish to post "mill" related threads.

Thread re-closed.