How many requests to your shelter?

[Lizzie]

While I was waiting in the lobby of the shelter where I volunteer as a foster (Luke, one of my FIV+ boys was being dipped), I started talking to the receptionist who'd remarked that there were 28 phone messages waiting because she'd been away from her desk for half-an-hour. I heard her muttering about irresponsible people as she wrote down message after message so asked if the calls were from people who wanted to hand over their cats. That's when I found out that they average 300 calls PER DAY from people who want to "give" them their cats.

She also told me that a woman stopped at the shelter yesterday and told Debbie that she was bringing her cat to them (it was in her car outside) because she was moving that day. Apparently, this wasn't a sudden move but the woman had thought she could just drop off the cat on her way to her new apartment. When she was told the shelter couldn't take her cat because they were at 250% capacity, she became very angry and insisted they could take "just one more". Debbie walked out of the door after her to make sure she didn't just put the carrier in the driveway. The cat probably ended up at the local animal control facility or dumped.

Considering the people calling know that they are contacting a no-kill shelter, shouldn't it make sense to them that the shelter is always full and they will have to put on a waiting list?

Those of you who work or volunteer at shelters, what are your experiences in this area?

[pitc9]

OMG!! How frighting!!

I don't know about the calls that my local shelters get, but I know that the shelter I adopted Buddy from gets in 100 strays a month and only 1% of those dogs are reclaimed.

Sorry a little off topic, but just another alarming stat.

[catmandu]

Its The Fact That There Are So Many People In Our Society Who Have Never Taken Responsibilty For Anything, And To Them Thier Pets Are Just Like Thier Possesions To Be Disposed Of When They Are Tired Of Them.
This Is Going To Be A Major Issue In A Few Yeras As An Intact Pet Will Do What Nature Intended For Them To Do, And Thats To Multiply , And Perpetuaute Thier Species.
Theres Going To Be A Crackdown, And I Pray Responsible Multi Pet Guardians Are Not Caught In The Crossfire!!

[phesina]

The no-kill shelter I work at gets plenty of those calls too, though I can't give a specific figure. We don't have a receptionist, so whoever is nearest answers the phone or the answering machine picks up. Every time a call begins "Can you take a cat...", it depresses me no end.

The shelter is kept very low-key with very little publicity, which I think keeps those calls down some, though we still get way more than we can take in. And we do find cats in carriers on the porch from time to time.

One time I took a call from someone calling from Detroit (some 50 miles away) saying "her friend" was moving THAT DAY and couldn't have her cat at the new place, and if we didn't take it she would "have to" just turn it loose on the street... and stray cats in that neighborhood got picked up to be used as bait for fighting dogs.

I gave her the standard responses. I told her we were full, I couldn't make intake decisions and that person wasn't available on the spot, and she was way beyond our usual intake area (which provides WAY more than enough cats to keep us full -- and it turned out she had no transportation to bring the cat out here even if we said yes). I asked why she was waiting until the last minute to try and place the cat ("too busy"). I suggested she ask friends, neighbors, co-workers, relatives, local vets, everyone she knew if they could take the cat even for a while or if they knew of shelters closer to them ("no time").

After getting blown off no matter what I said... I finally asked "Would you please tell her, if she's really going to just get rid of the cat, would she PLEASE at least take it to the Michigan Humane Society shelter in Detroit so it can at least be put down humanely?"

Somehow I don't think that one wound up at the MHS, and that is the kind of thing that really breaks my heart in being involved in rescue.

Pat

[catmandu]

Its Sad To Sasy But I Think That A Lot Of People In North America Have Jsur Forgotten How To Care For Anythhing But Thier Cars, Video Games And Stereos.
Those Are Creations Of Man, And You Can Buy Them Anywhere.
Our Pets Are Creations Of Our Lord God And Are Irreplaceable.

[cassiesmom]

The shelter from which I adopted Cassie is a former three-flat with a small back yard, so sometimes people don't even call but literally drop cats off at the back door. They are almost always at (or over) capacity. When a cat is dropped off, though, there's really nothing they can do except start the admitting process. They ask for a donation when a cat is placed with the shelter to help with the admitting expenses - I think sometimes people drop cats off when they can't afford to make a donation.

[Lizzie]

The shelter from which I adopted Cassie is a former three-flat with a small back yard, so sometimes people don't even call but literally drop cats off at the back door. They are almost always at (or over) capacity. When a cat is dropped off, though, there's really nothing they can do except start the admitting process. They ask for a donation when a cat is placed with the shelter to help with the admitting expenses - I think sometimes people drop cats off when they can't afford to make a donation.

The shelter I foster for is in a fairly rural area so they have quite a bit of land around them with trees behind, no fence. Sometimes people simply leave the carrier in the driveway. Much worse, some of them open the carrier and make the cat get out. Of course, the cat panics and bolts into the undergrowth forcing the shelter staff to spend many hours, sometimes days, trying to catch the cat. I think the people who do this are punishing the cat for being a nuisance to them and the shelter for saying no. They are oblivious to the fact that they are the bad guy in this scenario.

[phesina]

Oh.... my.... God....

I HATE PEOPLE!

The shelter I foster for is in a fairly rural area so they have quite a bit of land around them with trees behind, no fence. Sometimes people simply leave the carrier in the driveway. Much worse, some of them open the carrier and make the cat get out. Of course, the cat panics and bolts into the undergrowth forcing the shelter staff to spend many hours, sometimes days, trying to catch the cat. I think the people who do this are punishing the cat for being a nuisance to them and the shelter for saying no. They are oblivious to the fact that they are the bad guy in this scenario.

[jennielynn1970]

The shelter I foster for is in a fairly rural area so they have quite a bit of land around them with trees behind, no fence. Sometimes people simply leave the carrier in the driveway. Much worse, some of them open the carrier and make the cat get out. Of course, the cat panics and bolts into the undergrowth forcing the shelter staff to spend many hours, sometimes days, trying to catch the cat. I think the people who do this are punishing the cat for being a nuisance to them and the shelter for saying no. They are oblivious to the fact that they are the bad guy in this scenario.

This happens at the one shelter I volunteer at as well. It's located on a Mennonite farm, and it's pretty far off the main road, but people find it. They drop cats off in the carriers, in boxes, or just dump them without any shelter and leave. The farm dogs are not the most tolerant either (although they can be very sweet... they're just way over-bred by the farmer... sigh).

We really need a new shelter, and a new site. I just don't know when that will happen since our medical expenditures are just so high. I know the vet we use for the dire cases really discounts, but it's still a lot of cash for a small non-profit to come up with.

If only people would think before they adopt animals. So many are just treated like material possessions.