So we get an email about someone with a friend who has an imprinted duck hen. The friend is "DESPERATE" to surrender her hen to us because she has to move and the duck has no place to go. We have a family with a beautiful and loving home who has been waiting for an imprinted hen for some time, so we emailed back and said that we would take her. The friend insists that we call the duck owner--who wants to speak to us personally, she will not accept emails nor will she call us--we have to call her. If it wasn't for the sake of the loving family whose hearts are so set on adopting a hen, I would have dropped all correspondence. But, against my better judgment, I placed the long distance call.

The duck owner could have answered all her own questions by reading our website, but she insisted on infringing on my time--what limited time I have. Then she says she will surrender her duck in 2 weeks, promises a $100 donation and commits to volunteering for us because she "loves" our organization so much. FYI… as soon as someone says they want to "volunteer" it is an instant tip-off that they are being insincere--just trying to sway me into taking their duck or goose. We have NEVER gained a volunteer this way.

Well, a month goes by; I make a phone call to the duck owner--another long distance charge. I left a message just asking her to call us and just let us know if she still needs our help--either way. I explained that it is vital we know if her duck is not coming, so we can bring in the next bird on our waiting list. She never called back. I email her friend. The friend apologizes for the duck owner and says she behaved irresponsibly in not getting back to us, she was embarrassed for getting involved and asking so many people for help only to have the owner keep the duck.

This happens too often, and it drives me crazy. The duck owner was so completely unconcerned with our situation--and the animals on our waiting list, that she failed to even let us know that our help was no longer needed. How completely selfish is that? And not even a few bucks donation to cover the costs of the long distance phone call she insisted that we make to her. This is the side of running a sanctuary that you don't often hear about. It is dualistic. You see the best and worst sides of people--rarely anything in between.