Egos, excuses and animals.

Challenging the Status Quo in Animal Welfare

Introduction

“We don’t have time to make social media posts for adoptions.”A donation of €1 for every time we’ve heard this one would keep a shelter going for a long time.

Our second blog is inspired by our never say die attitude towards trying to convince those within welfare to embrace updates and change. It is about motivating those who are holding steadfastly onto their old ways and trying to help them to finally embrace the power of using social media to create more opportunities for rehoming. It is about using the power of updated websites for the benefit of the animals in their care but it’s a never ending battle. It is a battle against the outdated ‘old school’ attitudes which are fueled by some levels of ignorance, an array of never ending excuses and egos. and then as if that weren’t enough the internal politics also gets involved. All of this, which is mostly a waste of good time, comes at the expense of the voiceless animals.

Insider Information

Almost every day through various channels we are privy to more and more insider information and insights regarding animal welfare. Many of them are great and we have our ‘heroes’ on many social media pages who motivate us to continue, but many of the posts, blogs, comments and videos also highlight some very important issues which should be at least considered and discussed.

One of these major issues is the lack of trust amongst volunteers and facility staff of others internally and also those on the outside of the facility. Loving animals, much to the shock of many, is also no guarantee of possessing the necessary organizational skills needed to see things objectively and this does seem to hinder the progress of many facilities. Long story short, there are simply too few individuals trying to do too much alone, and then complaining about the workload. There is the option to spread the load, but they choose not to and as a result they often become sick, exhausted, frustrated and annoyed which makes many of them virtually unapproachable and closed off to what they perceive to be a demand for more their time. This is a huge and negative misunderstanding.

Nepotism and Favoritism

For those of you who know anything about animal associations, it’s already very clear that nepotism and favoritism pose significant challenges within the realm of animal welfare. It’s not news that progress is being impeded on a daily basis until those in positions of ‘perceived authority’ acknowledge that they do not hold all the answers. They have their skill sets but seem to have a belief system that they, and they alone are the solution. The fact of the matter is that they alone do not ‘own’ the animals in their facilities. They are trying hard to retain control through a lack of trust, but without the animals consent (which can never of course be given) they are making decisions about lives, which in turn means that if they decide not to embrace something which could be of benefit ie social media because it doesn’t suit them, the animals will be the ones to lose out. We don’t think that this ego based decision making should have any place in animal welfare.

Challenging Outdated Beliefs

It is high time and essential for these most difficult of people to realize that being open-minded and inclusive could greatly benefit those under their care. Unfortunately for many animals though, too many of these individuals are unable to see past their own egos. The idea that one must earn their stars in welfare is also totally unfounded, yet some do use this analogy to attempt to dismiss valuable input from outsider, only to the detriment of the animals.

Unwarranted Authority

In the field of what can only be described as ‘amateur’ animal welfare, there is no genuine or recognized official ranking system but there does seem to be an odd unwritten ‘rule’ that one must have more experience than all others in order to be allowed to voice an opinion. In a further odd situation, it also would appear to some individuals that a stamp on a piece of paper entitles those who paid for it to more credibility. This of course has nothing to do with the acquisition of any actual knowledge, it is simply a matter of making a significant payment to the relevant authorities.

Challenge the Status Quo

Therefore, on behalf of the animals, it is imperative that we all challenge these outdated beliefs and prioritize the well-being of animals above personal agendas. Only by fostering and even fighting to creating a culture of openness can we all truly make a difference in the field of animal welfare. Animal welfare in many places needs updating. It has nothing to do with money, but more to do with education and time/people management.

Conclusion

So as exhausting as it may be to swim against the tide, please don’t give up jumping the hurdles and trying to cut the red tape to try to help them. Your help, however insignificant you may think it is, will always be more valuable to an animal life than any human ego ever will be.