We've been working really hard on the proof of
The Ultimate Pet Duck Guide Book. I've been
speaking and emailing representatives of Mazuri,
Purina and Blue Seal and getting permissions and
information and today Mazuri donated $200 to the
duckies after seeing our website and what we do. Yay!
We really want to get the book out for August 1st,
but it's going to be a race against time. After we
finish editing this proof (we have 2 chapters left
to go), we order the final proof and make sure it's
perfect by re-reading everything again. I'm guessing
we will need a couple final edits from there and one
more super final proof before hitting the GO button.
Exciting!
Roberta is doing very well today. She walked off the
pond and was working her way into the barn at
bedtime, but I picked her up and carried her so she
wouldn't push too hard. She goes to the vet tomorrow
for another Adequan injection and a meds refill.
Gulliver and Berty are madly in love and Benny has
been keeping Gulliver in line and away from all the
other hens. What a good boy! Gulliver is HUGE! I
can't believe he was once our little baby boy,
following us all around the yard. He is just so
fluffy and sweet. I just love him.
I had someone email asking to adopt a single goose
hen (which we don't have) so she could free-range it
with her goose. I emailed back and simply said, "I'm
sorry, but we do not adopt to free range situations
because in our experience this always ends in
disaster from predators." Simple right? You think
that would be the end of it, yes? Oh no, not this
one... she came back with another email and flipped
out saying things like: "I don't dump animals,"
and, "I could very well have lied to you," and,
"Don't you dare judge ME." Then she went on to
brag about the 1200 acres her family owns. Who cares
about her family's 1200 FREE RANGE acres. Then she
suddenly claims that she does not free range her
goose after all (so why did she tell me otherwise
before? fishy...), and that he does have a pen and
that her goose's bill got stuck in it and bled
everywhere and how it's our loss that one of our
geese isn't going to her.
Oooooo... now this sounds like a really good
home, doesn't it?! P-lease.
Her temper alone is enough to convince me she's not
a good match for our animals.
So then she sends a second email right after the
first that says: "By the way, I wouldn't send you
a dime." I'm guessing she is trying to hurt me
with these words, but the only ones she is really
hurting are the animals.
So I email back this:
"Our adoption requirements
are stated clearly on our website. We do not
adopt our animals into free range situations
unless the birds are directly supervised the
entire time. All of our adopters must have
predator proof pens for all other times. I’m not
sure why you are so angry with me about this,
but it is for the safety of our beautiful
rescues. This is our sanctuary and this is the
choice we have made for our ducks and geese to
ensure they get the best after leaving here.
Perhaps if you were the one
donating your time to emotionally support
hundreds of families whose free-range birds
suffer predatory attacks, you might understand
why we are so passionate about this requirement.
I never said you would dump
animals or mistreat animals; I never even
thought anything like that. I would never assume
such a thing about someone I don’t even know,
and I have not and am not judging you. Likely, I
think it is the other way around. It is you who
has judged me.
That being said, I wish you
and <her goose's name> well.
Kim
P.S. What a rude
email. Do you really have nothing better to do
than direct your anger to people who volunteer
all of their time to caring for animals. You
can keep your dime. You likely wouldn’t have
donated it anyway (now I am
judging you)."
The last sentence brings me
joy. Truly. A good zinger. I don't want to hear
about how much money she would have donated
in her perfect little imaginary world. I've heard
that line of bull before. I can't be manipulated
that way. Nope. Not falling for it.
I called Jenn and read the
emails to her and she couldn't believe it either,
but we do get the occasional koo-koo and we just
have to encourage them to move along. Jenn thought
that my email would be the end of it, but I know
better. I set up my email to auto-delete any more
emails from her because I know this kind of crazy
and it doesn't go away that easily. Not until they
get that auto message that says: "Your Message
Has Been Auto Deleted; Please Do Not Reply"
do they go away.
And sure enough the next day,
the flashing message came up on my screen saying,
"Message from <so-and-so> has been auto-deleted,"
and I laughed!
