Jamie Questions Whether We Can Rescue Two Lions?

 

It seems like everyone is for the rescue of these two lions, I feel we don't have enough people to take care of them. Like Brian said, sometimes it's only him and Tiffany that are available to clean and he is leaving soon and Tiffany is paid to be working inside, not cleaning cages.  So if she is only cleaning on one of her days off then that will soon leave us with six more days out of the week to find coverage to take care of another two upper level cats.  Not to mention, that two more big cats will end up costing us $15,800 a year.  Where are we going to get all this money from?

 

Only a hand full of people are actually helping with our biggest fundraiser of the year...and isn't it strange that the people that complain the most about us needing to rescue more cats are not in that small group of people, soliciting donations, thanking donors, and actually earning the money needed to care for the cats we have...

 

We just took in four cats that are costing us $30,000 a year.  So now we are looking at $45,800 a year.  I hear whispers and rumors of upper level people wanting to move on to greener pastures and possibly even leave the animal world all together.  I hear complaints of having to be here instead of having "fun" dealing with guests, working with other volunteers and interns, doing boring admin tasks.

 

So with your votes, I really ask you that you look 10-20 years in the future.  Are you still going to be here?  Are you still going to be working holidays, weekends...Are you going to take over getting sponsors, soliciting auction items, planning and executing our biggest fundraiser of the year?  Howard is retired and this will probably be his last year putting together the Fur Ball.

 

This place is my life and I will be working here until I die from stress or I am mauled to death, so remember that, because each cat rescued is ultimately mine and Carole's responsibility.    That said I will stand by you and vote yes, if it is agreed that

 

1.  the two lions can be housed together

2. coverage can be found to clean/feed without using our paid admin staff,

3. you are ready to commit your time off, weekends and holidays for the remainder of these cats' lives,

4. and you can joyfully work on admin tasks, peacefully coordinate volunteers and interns, and are excited to get out there and solicit donors, sponsors, and manage our fur ball

 

My thoughts may have come across harsh, but they are only meant to be blunt.  I want everyone to stay here and I want everyone to be happy and really enjoy their experiences here.  But lately from my own experiences out here, I find that people are overworked and bitter for it.  The only way to not over work everyone is to lighten the load.  The more cats we continue to rescue, the heavier it will be for everyone.  In the back of my mind I still come back to this...the best thing we can do for the situation as a whole, is spend those hours each week, that would be dedicated to caring for one lucky animal, fighting for legislation that would end the cause for cats in need of rescue.  The animals,  Jamie Veronica, President

 

I wrote her back and told her that I wish I had said that.  She fears she may have driven off those who are at the edge of burning out and I told her that if we wake up tomorrow and it is just her and me that we have been there before and we can do it again.  I am so proud of her.

 

Photo is from the 2007 Fur Ball and that is news anchor, Cynthia Smoot, to my right.

 

I've been writing my story since I was able to write, but when the media goes to share it, they only choose the parts that fit their idea of what will generate views.  If I'm going to share my story, it should be the whole story.  The titles are the dates things happened. If you have any interest in who I really am please start at the beginning of this playlist: http://savethecats.org/

 

I know there will be people who take things out of context an