people making fun of your taking good care of animals

[ColleenT]

So back around 2003, i started working with a wildlife rehabber and then i went to Texas to learn to rehab insectivorous bats. They are amazing animals. At the time we had a large attic and i put up a flight tent for the bats in my care. at night they would go into the flight tent to exercise. Some people laughed at me, made fun of me and how passionate i am about them. Ok, i get that. there are a lot of old wives tales about bats out there. So i would shake it off.

My hubby and i bought this house 4+ yrs ago, and we have always had a lot of room for our dogs. So we fenced an acre in chainlink. This is not cheap. We added a dog door, and we have such an easy time with the dogs. They do what they want unless they are barking, and i bring them inside and lock them in. People told us it was crazy to spend so much to fence the yard.

NOW- Hubby and i have built a turtle pen for my 2 box turtles. it is 6 x16 ft, and instead of making a removable lid, we left posts up to be framed and covered in hardware cloth ( 1/2 inch metal mesh screen). So many people think this is a joke. Seriously, i have had to scold people. It's not going overboard to do the right thing for animals. And seriously, we all know it could be bigger. But people are so rude about how we take care of our animals. We really are passionate and love our animals.

I am sure some of you can relate.

 

[MPRC]

I wear my "Crazy tortoise lady" badge proudly. I just remind people they'd be lucky to be reincarnated as one of my critters.

 

[Tom]

I don't think what you've done is anything out of the ordinary. I don't see what anyone has to make fun of there.

There are a lot of ignorant people out there in the world, and a lot of stupid people too. I try to interact with the smart ones.

 

[wellington]

I have found that most of those who make fun at or rude comments about what we will do for are animals, do this because they can't afford to do it. I hear it all the time about the amount I spent to save my at the time very young dog. The people say it's ridiculous, but I also know they couldn't afford it. I think it's their way of justifying that they couldn't do it. With my torts though, once they see my torts and how cool they are, they get a different attitude about what I have done and spent for them.
Don't let it get to you. True animal lovers get it. True animal lovers realize we need all animals for the world to function the way it's suppose to.
Btw, I love bats and think they are very cute.

 

[dmmj]

people who matter don't mind people who mind don't matter once you learn that life is easy

 

[leigti]

Some of my friends and acquaintances do you think that I go overboard taking care of my animals. A friend of mine is building a chicken coop for me and whenever I bring up things like hardware cloth, Secure closing doors etc. the term "overkill" comes up. And "paranoid". And the kicker "you and your hardware cloth". I have to admit I was irritated. Probably more irritated than I should've been. My animals mean a great deal to me and I do my best to keep them safe. They are captive animals, they are here because I brought them here so I owe them protection, proper food, that care if needed. I spent a good deal of time money and effort on them but to me it's worth it. Some people will never understand that and that's their problem.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

It all seems normal to me.
folks often bring me orphaned baby animals and I either find an animal rehab or keep them until they are large enough to release.
I have my entire back yard dedicated to tortoises,a rabbit, fish and a dog. With pens I can set up within a few hours for anything else I need.
This is Opie from last year. he got big enough to live safely and I let him go in a state park.(His parents and siblings had been killed by dogs)
If you own an animal, you should do everything and anything for that animal that you can. And if you can help an animal live that would otherwise die, help it.

 

[ColleenT]

it is nice to be in such good company! Sadly the people making fun are my hubby's family and his sister is a nurse and married to a Doctor. you think they would be kind hearted and understand. So it's hard to get away from them. this last time i did tell her the kjokes were getting old and taking proper care of animals is not OVERKILL.

bats i have featured are Abe and Zander. Abe had his wing electrified on a wire and he had to remain in captivity. Zander was a baby and still needed to learn to fly at this point. You can see they really are not ugly. They have gleeming hair, and they are very clean and intelligent animals. Later on, Abe was tranferred to another rehabber to live his life with her. Zander was released when he learned to fly. They were both Big Brown Bats.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Nobody has ever bought me a bat. They really are fascinating.
I'm sure that if you look a little bit, you could find something strange about your husbands family members and mention it once or twice.
They may be less inclined to say anything unflattering about you.
I once bought home two little blind baby birds that came from a nest that had been blasted off of a ledge and fell over 20 feet to the ground...And lived. I didn't know what kind of birds and offered a potion of seeds and milk ground up into a smoothie. It wasn't until I gave them wax worms that I realized they were carnivores. I kept those chirping pooping and difficult birds on a cotton and hay nest that my wife made until they could be transferred into a flight cage, then as quickly as they could fly, out the back door they flew. I'm still not sure of the type of bird. But I was forever catching little bugs for them to eat.
That would certainly make people talk, huh?

 

[Pearly]

People who have no compassion for animals often lack compassion for other humans. I like the way David worded it above about "people who mind" and "matter". It's very well said.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

How about $2,000 in vet bills and medication to save a tortoise that I later sent to a better home for $100?
Even people that KNOW me saw that as overkill.
That might be a record for all I know.
Compassionate or just stubborn?
I totally understand.

 

[Pearly]

How about $2,000 in vet bills and medication to save a tortoise that I later sent to a better home for $100?
Even people that KNOW me saw that as overkill.
That might be a record for all I know.
Compassionate or just stubborn?
I totally understand.

Really???! I still want to hear the whole story of your herd

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Really???! I still want to hear the whole story of your herd

Its very long and boring.
I'll send you an email so I don't side track Colleens thread..

 

[Tom]

Btw, I love bats and think they are very cute.

Two days after I had dinner with you and your hubby, I went and had dinner with some friends there in Chicago. I work with the husband from time to time, but his wife was one of the main bat rescue people in the Chicago area. She had about a dozen of them at that time in various states of rehab. She taught me all sorts of neat things about them. Prior to that visit, I had only really had any contact with non-native fruit bats. They moved for work about a year ago...

 

[Tom]

it is nice to be in such good company! Sadly the people making fun are my hubby's family and his sister is a nurse and married to a Doctor. you think they would be kind hearted and understand. So it's hard to get away from them. this last time i did tell her the kjokes were getting old and taking proper care of animals is not OVERKILL.

bats i have featured are Abe and Zander. Abe had his wing electrified on a wire and he had to remain in captivity. Zander was a baby and still needed to learn to fly at this point. You can see they really are not ugly. They have gleeming hair, and they are very clean and intelligent animals. Later on, Abe was tranferred to another rehabber to live his life with her. Zander was released when he learned to fly. They were both Big Brown Bats.

I thought about why someone would make comments like this to you, and why no one makes comments like this to me when I've done ten times more crazy stuff than you have done there.

From what I can tell you are a very kind and thoughtful person. You don't seem to have any pent up anger or animosity toward anyone. I think mean people see this as "weakness" and they feel like they can get away with picking on you.

By contrast, I am a mean SOB. My heart is filled with anger and resentment from a horrible childhood and all the bad things that have happened to me in life. I am "touched by the dark side", so to speak. I would unleash holy hell on anyone stupid enough to make fun of me. I would turn it around on them so fast their head would spin and they'd feel an inch tall and immediately want to run and hide.

Knowing that, which way would you rather have it? My mean in-laws wouldn't dare say a word to me for spending $5000 dollars on slupmstone block for a bunch of tortoise pens, but look at the weight I carry around daily…

We must each deal with this in our own way. I suspect you would deal with this with grace, beauty and a smile, while I deal with it by dropping the hammer and administering a brutal, cruel tongue lashing.

My best friend in the world is the opposite of me. What's funny is that we envy each others traits. He wishes he had the temerity to abruptly shut down stupidity the way I do, and I wish I had more of his kindness, patience and compassion toward my fellow man.

Food for thought...

 

[ColleenT]

Its very long and boring.
I'll send you an email so I don't side track Colleens thread..

you can tell it, i don't mind.

 

[ColleenT]

Two days after I had dinner with you and your hubby, I went and had dinner with some friends there in Chicago. I work with the husband from time to time, but his wife was one of the main bat rescue people in the Chicago area. She had about a dozen of them at that time in various states of rehab. She taught me all sorts of neat things about them. Prior to that visit, I had only really had any contact with non-native fruit bats. They moved for work about a year ago...

What is her name? i might know of her.

 

[ColleenT]

I thought about why someone would make comments like this to you, and why no one makes comments like this to me when I've done ten times more crazy stuff than you have done there.

From what I can tell you are a very kind and thoughtful person. You don't seem to have any pent up anger or animosity toward anyone. I think mean people see this as "weakness" and they feel like they can get away with picking on you.

By contrast, I am a mean SOB. My heart is filled with anger and resentment from a horrible childhood and all the bad things that have happened to me in life. I am "touched by the dark side", so to speak. I would unleash holy hell on anyone stupid enough to make fun of me. I would turn it around on them so fast their head would spin and they'd feel an inch tall and immediately want to run and hide.

Knowing that, which way would you rather have it? My mean in-laws wouldn't dare say a word to me for spending $5000 dollars on slupmstone block for a bunch of tortoise pens, but look at the weight I carry around daily…

We must each deal with this in our own way. I suspect you would deal with this with grace, beauty and a smile, while I deal with it by dropping the hammer and administering a brutal, cruel tongue lashing.

My best friend in the world is the opposite of me. What's funny is that we envy each others traits. He wishes he had the temerity to abruptly shut down stupidity the way I do, and I wish I had more of his kindness, patience and compassion toward my fellow man.

Food for thought...

I find it odd that you say this. I am a nasty b**** when people cross me. I grew up in an abusive home, my parents should have never had kids, and i also have a bit of anger and resentment inside me. Animals are amazing. they make us feel appreciated and loved and they never turn on us. I don't usually allow people to talk down to me, but i do listen to their point of view before lashing out. It is just hard for me to say anything to my husband's family or to his friends from work, b/c i don't want to ruin his relationships with those people. my husband is a wonderful person and he does not deserve me unleashing the demons. LOL

 

[wellington]

I find it odd that you say this. I am a nasty b**** when people cross me. I grew up in an abusive home, my parents should have never had kids, and i also have a bit of anger and resentment inside me. Animals are amazing. they make us feel appreciated and loved and they never turn on us. I don't usually allow people to talk down to me, but i do listen to their point of view before lashing out. It is just hard for me to say anything to my husband's family or to his friends from work, b/c i don't want to ruin his relationships with those people. my husband is a wonderful person and he does not deserve me unleashing the demons. LOL

This is where I would tell the hubby how it makes you feel if he doesn't already know and ask him to handle it, seeing it's his family and friends/co workers. I would then also let him know, if he doesn't, you will and it won't be in a nice way.

I did have a great childhood. I can and will make anyone run and hide if they mess with me. I do though take so much of it and will try to be nice about it. However, if they push me too close to the line, they will be very sorry. I am also not real fond of people, they are mean and petty and two faced. I think animal lovers, that do more with animals, then just love their pets, have much more respect for animals then people.

 

[ColleenT]

oh he knows. it is just a courtesy to him that i don't go off on his work associates and family. He could tell them to back off, but you can't fix stupid. why create a situation? So that is why i get frustrated. i would love to go off on some of these people, but it's not worth it.