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ANIMAL RESCUER or COLLECTOR
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The difference between a collector and an animal rescuer may be the outcome for the animal:
adoption into a suitable family or confinement in an inadequate 'shelter'
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ANIMAL RESCUERS CREED
I'll never bring about world peace.
I won't single-handedly save the rain forest.
I'm not a brain surgeon and
I'll never transplant an organ to save a life.
I don't have the ear of a powerful politician or world power.
I can't end world hunger.
I'm not a celebrity, and God knows I'm not glamorous!
I'm not looked up to by millions around the world.
Very few people even recognize my name.
I'll never win the Nobel prize or end global warming.
There are a lot of things that I'll never do or become.
But today I helped place an animal!
It was a small, scared, bundle of flesh and fur that was dumped at a shelter, or on the streets by unfeeling people who didn't care what happened to it, but yet who were responsible for it having existence in the first place.
I helped find it a loving home.
It now has contentment and an abundance of love.
No... I'm not a rocket scientist. But today, I made a difference!
And I'll do it tomorrow, too, if given a chance.
-Author Unknown-
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I looked at all the caged animals in the shelter...
the cast-offs of human society.
I saw in their eyes love and hope, fear and dread,
sadness and betrayal. And I was angry.
"God," I said, "this is terrible! Why don't you do something?"
God was silent for a moment and then spoke softly and said,
"I have, I created you." ~Jim Willis 1999~
If God brings me to it, He will bring me through it.
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Dear Lord, please give me the ability to save the ones I can.
To pass on the ones I cannot help.
And the divine wisdom to know the difference. Amen
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We're all familiar with cases of animal cruelty, and we've heard some of the horror stories of their crimes. But, surprisingly, some of the worst perpetrators of cruelty are people who say, and likely believe, that they are helping animals. They often refer to themselves as "animal lovers" or even "activists," or "saviors," but animal welfare experts and animal rescuers call them "collectors" or "animal addicts" or “hoarders”.
In simplest terms, an animal collector is a person who acquires more animals than he or she can properly care for. Collectors fail to recognize when the animals in their care become victims of obvious neglect. Some of the most dramatic cases involve hundreds of animals-the kind of story you've likely seen on the news-while others involve only a handful. Either way, the animals they collect are forced to live in deplorable conditions without proper medical care or nourishment.
Collectors think they are doing a good thing, saving animals that would otherwise suffer or be euthanized. But the conditions these animals are kept in are inhumane, and often lead to even worse suffering from malnutrition, dehydration, disease and early death. Worse yet, they're almost always permitted to breed, so there are even more animals in a small space without adequate food or room.
Every case is unique, but to experienced cruelty investigators there is a common thread. Most often, collectors can't or won't recognize that the animals in their care are suffering from neglect. They insist that sick animals are healthier and malnourished animals are well-fed. They typically refuse to let others help provide care.
Here are other characteristics animal collectors generally share: A need to possess many animals. Most have a shrewd ability to attract sympathy for themselves even after their collections are discovered. -A need to control-the more animals the better. Collectors feel empowered by controlling every aspect of the existence of the animals in their custody. They refuse to relinquish control, even when the animals' lives and health are at stake. -A clandestine lifestyle. A tendency to deny reality. Collectors see themselves as "saviors" and they believe they can easily clean up the mess in just a day or two if necessary.
An animal collector's dependence on animals produces enormous suffering for the animals they claim to love, and great expense to the agencies that must deal with the aftermath of their collection. Unless professional help is obtained, collectors almost invariably return to their old patterns, even if their animals are removed or if they are convicted of cruelty of animals. Frequently, a collector whose animals are impounded immediately begins collecting more animals, a guarantee that down the line more animals will be found in desperate and unhealthy conditions. Even prosecution and fines, in the absence of other intervention, rarely stop a collector from acquiring more animals, which wind up in the same deplorable condition. It's not enough, then, just to rescue one set of animals.
There are legal remedies when collectors violate animal cruelty laws or public health ordinances, but judicial proceeding can be long and costly both in time and money. There's also not a great chance of success because most judges don't understand what motivates an animal collector. Sometimes animal welfare investigators can gain a collector's trust to help them to treat and neuter their animals. But the most important way to avoid the tragedies caused by collectors is to educate the public, prosecutors and judges about the seriousness of the issue.
An important distinction must be made between animal collectors and people who consistently provide responsible care for a large number of animals.
Owning a lot of animals doesn't necessarily make you a collector.
The problem is when the number of animals becomes more important than their care.
Responsible rescuers and pet owners understand that all their animals need regular veterinary care, yearly vaccinations, a healthier environment with wholesome food and fresh water, adequate space, and lots of love.
It's the difference between life and death.
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Just a few that were saved and in their new homes.
Thanks to everyone that saves, rehab, & Adopts
The Animals Loves You For Their New Lives!!
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Copyright © 2003- 2004- 2005 -2006 Border Collie Rescue of California. All rights reserved.
Revised: March 26, 2006
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