I was reading a rescue website that was pleading for donations of dog food for a large group of puppy mill survivors and it took me to an experience I recently had…..
Before I quit my employment at Saints, one of my jobs was to organize the dog and cat foods and treats/cookies that were donated. I organized them into 2 groups…one group was Royal Canin Medi-Cal of which consisted of Gastro, Mobility, Hypoallergenic, Dental, Weight Control, etc. all of which can only be bought at a Veterinarian office. Royal Canin, if you don’t know, is wicked expensive. The other group was everything else.
Along with buying bags of kibble for their own personal animals, well meaning people would also buy bags for Saints animals. They would either personally drop them off, or leave them with the store and once a week or so the director, or someone else, would pick them up. Along with those well meaning individual people, were the stores themselves that donated vast quantities of food.
Excellent, right? But at least 1/4 to 1/3 of those donated bags would be trucked off to the local dump.
Why? Because (A) there was simply no more room to store them and/or (B) it was not premium food.
Why was the extra kibble not being given to other rescue groups and/or community food banks? Because, and I’m paraphrasing here from the director of Saints, “if people knew that Saints could not use all that was donated they would not donate again.”
That mentality didn't make any sense, at least to me.
So, people spent hard earned money to buy bags of food to donate. Then some cash donations were being spent on paying the handyman to take it to the dump. WTF.
I was disgusted that animals had to die for the food to be made that she was ordering to be dumped. When I approached the director about the deaths of other animals being in complete vain, and offered up the solution that it be taken to local food banks she hummed and hawed and said she would get back to me about the idea.
3 weeks before I quit my employment at Saints my desk was covered in paperwork. Phone calls were made to local community groups such as food banks etc. that welcomed donations of dog/cat food.
It’s been quite some time since I left that employ, and according to a volunteer there, nothing has changed. Food is still being dumped.
I know that the S.P.C.A.’s and Animal Control and City Pounds frequently donate their overstock to the local food banks and private rescues, so why can’t that large sanctuary/rescue do the same?
Colleen, Dave and I have found ourselves in the situation where it's who eats, us or the dogs, and we make sure the dogs eat. But if food was available at the local food bank, we wouldn't be too proud to go there and ask for it! WTF is right!!!
ReplyDeleteI'm of the same ilk Dianne. I would truck on down to the food bank for dog food as well if I had to! Many folks do all the time...many dogs and cats could have been fed on what she ordered dumped.
ReplyDeleteHi Hunde Haus,Here in N California we have a rescue that is doing exactly what you have written. I know this to be true as my twins were volunteers there for 2 months last summer. I don't understand why they did it either. So many other animals could have benefited.
ReplyDeleteI want to say that I have lurked on your blog since last October and never posted till now but this is something that really hit home.
You have beautiful Shephards!
Anna, Riley and Fletch.
That's a shame. I hate to think that political priorities take presidence over the welfare of hungry puppies, kittens, dogs and cats. :(
ReplyDeleteI think the bar in regards to quality of food has been raised by most doing canine or feline rescue. In fact i received two bags of dog crunch at Christmas because the SPCA had refused it as they are under contact to only feed what is it science diet now? As SD is supplying all the feed under there new charity program to registered charities doing rescue work.
ReplyDeleteGift in Kind is a challenge for example our up coming garage sale. We don't want clothes , computer stuff , ski equipment or kids toys but will all the lists of "don't want" stop us from getting anything? It will but i know what the tipping fees at the dump cost and what sells so I just can't take the good with the bad anymore.
We all want the best for our kids and when i get rotten food here i ask the donor to take it back home with them at risk of never seeing or getting anything again. I simply don't have the help or the storage here for spoiled or bad feed when i can barley get to the dump every two weeks.
I would suggest offering to be the point man for food that rescuers prefer not to use and there is a ton of them and getting it to those who are in need.
I totally agree about the bar being raised Janice.
ReplyDeleteBUT, these were NOT expired bags of food ( as she likes to say they were ) they were simply taking up room and/or not up to her standards.I certainly wouldn't consider Natural Balance and that like sub-standard by any means. And if we get down to it, according to any of the manufacturers of those foods, they STILL had a shelf life of maximum 6 months after the expiry dates on the bags.
As I stated, it was my job to sort it out. I did so by expiry date. Bags and bags and bags and more effing bags with 3-6 months BEFORE expiry dates and a helluva lot later dates were tossed.
Purina, for example, is not a great kibble, but it would have maintained a lot of dogs for a LONG time.
Same as the never ending shelves of blankets...could they too not have been passed to another rescue or community shelter? For example, I personally bagged up 7, almost 8 full large size garbage bags of wool blankets. You could have used those!! The 2, and then 3 pigs there were only given one every few months. Mind you, none of those were tossed, but there they sit...rotting away.
Staff and some volunteers know what I'm saying is truth. But, some people need the job, and volunteers are there for the animals, not her. Do you think any of them would still be tere if they spoke up? Not a chance in hell.
Perfect example....I brought you a bag of Purina cat food for your cats that WAS going to be tossed.
ReplyDeleteSAINTS does share with feed and blankets here Colleen when there able to fit it in , but like all of us doing this our time is as valuable and it sucks but I loose out on a ton of stuff offered from a lot of sources because i don't have the time or the energy left to go and pick it up. Its really hard when folks are offering and they just can't understand how i can't make the time when i need the stuff.
ReplyDeleteA good analogy would be buying something at the corner store when you know it cheaper any where else. But getting it anywhere else is another stop, another drive, another park another line up when time is as precious as the money spent.
All the stuff i get for my garage sales that do not sell is sorted and the truck is loaded to go to the dump. We take some stuff to Womens in Need Thrift stores and some is saved for the next one but i don't have the time to disperse it all nor can i leave it here in a pile for maybe someone who wants it either. I pick my enemey , the cost to tip and taking care of the animals here or spending time on driving from place to place to see if anybody wants it.
When your working for animals already compromised medically or by age , what your putting in there mouth is pretty important . I know you know that ;o)
But from your post i only see that there is a need for good people to offer to round it up from all of us and get it to those who can use it. We don't have time , we have 50-150 little things and jobs that take priority and we have to prioritize every single day.
The shelters are no different Colleen , rescue gets a ton of stuff they don't want offered and some will offer it and some will dump it . I used to get truck loads in Maple Ridge as i was a drop off point for a few of us. We picked what we wanted and the rest was picked up by Cathy Jeffery's volunteers. Gads they were like 80 years old doing that for her.
I'm just saying if you feel that strongly about the waste , it would be a great thing to organize pick ups so it could go to the street people , the homeless , folks in need.
But Janice, if someone offered you 2-3 months worth of pellets, you would jump at it. IF it was offered. That's basically what I'm saying. It was never even offered.
ReplyDeleteAnd hey, I live in Hope. I survive on pennies. Where is the time and/or money for me to come from here and drive all over the lower mainland to pick up and deliver food etc? That job is for someone who is financially independent and no responsibilities. Please don't try and turn it around to why I don't do that.
Like I said, food etc. was NEVER even offered to ANYONE. That's the bottom line. It wasn't offered.
That just sucks. Esp since I know of at least one muni shelter in the FV which has food shortage issues.
ReplyDeleteThere are volunteers with cars who can't foster or adopt but will help with transport of all sorts of stuff. Word only has to be put out where there's a surplus and where there's a need..... If nothing else it should be going to the food banks & not the dump. Waste like this makes me mad.
oh & btw, even the things like clothing & toys which don't always sell well at garage sales, shouldn't go to the dump. Several charities in my neighbourhood will pick up & sort through all that & sell to 2nd hand stores. It should not be thrown out.....