Update on our Open Arms Challenge journey: The good, the bad, and the ugly.
Let's start with the positives: if all the animals we have scheduled for spay and neuter qualify-meaning they're healthy enough-we're on track to have spayed/neutered 125 community dogs and cats by the end of the month. This milestone represents a significant step forward in our efforts to curb overpopulation and improve the welfare of animals in our community. This will not only help the people, but we should see an impact to stakeholders at every level of the community, shelters, law enforcement, etc.
Even more heartening, at least 3 cases involved homes where continuous breeding was perpetuating the cycle of animal overpopulation. These interventions could potentially save countless lives in the long run.
But here's where it gets tough. Some of the situations we've encountered have been beyond challenging; they've been downright abusive. Imagine being met with hostility and aggression from those who initially seemed supportive, simply because our approach didn't align with their expectations. It's disheartening to face such resistance, especially when we're striving to make a positive impact.
What's truly shocking is that some of these individuals are the very ones we believed would understand and support our mission as they contacted us about people who needed help. Yet, when faced with the reality of our work, they reacted with hostility and resentment. They wanted us to go in guns a blazing and seize the animals, even though we have no authority to do so. They had expected us to go in and look at the situation and react with drama instead of a calm approach of help.
Navigating these obstacles hasn't been easy. We've had to make difficult decisions, including blocking certain individuals and collaborating closely with law enforcement to ensure our safety and the well-being of the people we are helping, and the animals involved.
Despite these challenges, we refuse to give up. The need for our work is too great, and the animals we serve depend on us. We'll continue to push forward, advocating for those who can't speak for themselves, and striving to create a community where compassion and understanding prevail. Together, we can overcome even the toughest challenges and make a lasting difference.
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Alexia Gannon
Master Poop Picker-upper
Beautiful Hearts Rescue
WI
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Original Message:
Sent: 04-11-2024 10:33 AM
From: wendy frink
Subject: Checking in!
How is the Open Arms Challenge going for your organizations? Any wins, lessons learned, challenges to share? Excited to hear how it is going!
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wendy frink
Marketing Communications Specialist
Maddie's Fund
New York NY
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