Korean Job Discussion Forums

[timvas]

I received the below PM today from some complete tool who shall remain nameless (unless of course you want me to name you - quite happy to, just let me know clown.....) which was in response to a couple of threads I had posted for shelter rescue dogs available for adoption.

I thought I might be best to share it with everyone & also clarify/respond just in case anyone else has had similar thoughts/queries about dogs or cats we have posted for adoption on this or any other site. (And just a general observation - sometimes it's easier to raise a query with someone to try & establish what the situation actually is, rather than taking the rude opinionated option of assuming you know the answer already and giving someone an earful without finding out whether you are even remotely correct in your assumption....)

received this earlier this afternoon:
"Do you really hate the animals you post on here for adoption or are you just a fool?

Most people on this board are only here for a short time - many less than a year. Most cannot take the pets home because they do not return directly home but travel through south east Asia after their time here.

If they adopt these pets the pets will be abandoned on the street when they leave.

Why would you do that do these poor animals? How cruel are you?"

So, just to clarify:

1. I do not adopt animals out to people who cannot take them home when they leave Korea. We do not expend time and effort to remove animals from a homeless or unwanted situation just to give them to the first person that comes along - the whole point is to find them a caring, responsible and permanent new owner.

2. Whenever we do adopt an animal out, it is always on the understanding that we will take animals back any time if for any reason it is not working out or if people's circumstances change. This is made clear to everyone to adopts one of our animals and in fact there have been three occasions this year when we have taken back previously adopted animals.

3. Sometimes people offer to foster dogs and cats for us temporarily while we try to find them a permanent home. In these cases it can sometimes be people who only have a limited stay in Korea, but the animals always come back to us if we have not managed to find a permanent home for them by the time the fosterer has to leave.

As a general observation, 99% of the feedback we get from people is very positive - most people are aware that the facilities and programs in Korea for lost dogs and cats (in particular) could do with a lot of improvement. Occasionally, though, I receive something abusive - generally this is along the lines of the above PM or "why don't you do something about orphans or homeless people instead of wasting your time on stupid animals" (got one of those in response to a recent story in the Korea Times about the dog shelter in Daejon which is closing down & the fact that we are trying to find homes for 200 dogs).

My response to that is always twofold:
a. I think anyone who dedicates their spare time to trying to make the world a slightly better place by working with orphans, the poor, the homeless, the environment, lost animals or whatever should be encouraged. It's not a competition ("everyone work to solve one problem first before anyone spends any time on the the others") and I would encourage anyone to devote whatever time they can personally spare to whatever cause they personally feel most strongly about.
b. I have never, ever, seen anyone who undertakes volunteer work themselves criticise any other volunteers in different fields. It's generally some lightweight sitting on his fat backside not lifting a finger himself to assist anyone other than himself who somehow feels entitled to criticise those who are devoting their spare time in attempt to make a positive difference. "You there - stop helping those animals and go feed that homeless guy I stepped over this morning at the train station..."

And to the guy who sent me the PM - c'mon, prove me wrong. Let's hear the details of exactly what worthwhile things you have been doing with your spare time.....

[SeoulShakin]

Very well put.

I feel as though some people have too much time on their hands, and rather than getting out and fighting for ANYTHING, they just find reasons to put others down.

You do a lot of good work in this country. I hope that idiotic private messages from people don't deter you from continuing to do what you do.

[Bramble]

Seconded. Tim, you guys are great.

The abusive posters on this site have really hit a new low.

[cbclark4]

How many abusive PMs did you recieve?

[jinju]

I seriously object to this assinine thread. You are quite the attention *beep* arent you?

[SuperFly]

If you guys keep this behavior up, I'll pull this thread too. Bramble, you're on my list.

[Bramble]

[Jizzo T. Clown]

[freshking]

[Vicissitude]

[SuperFly]

[Vicissitude]

[jinju]

[Bibbitybop]

[SPINOZA]

Vicissitude busted my ass as a mod too.

If I hear one more unpleasant word, just one, from her, I'm gonna send her account to Daves Heaven where I've sent millions of undesirables previously.