So here is how my day goes with little variation – day in and day out – for the last ten years.  Pretty much every day starting at about 4:30 to 5 a.m. to one degree or another depending on the number, size and age of the puppies in my garage, because there are always puppies in my garage.  And suspect there will be puppies in my garage until we really can solve the pet overpopulation problem that creates unwanted puppies in the world and ultimately in my garage.  149 last year in my garage.

I get up, pee, brush my teeth, let my 8 dogs out, feed my cats and whatever foster kittens are living upstairs in the guest rooms, clean out 4 to 6 litter boxes…again depending on how many foster kittens are living upstairs in my house.  Head to the garage to clean up puppy poop which could mean 10 minutes or an hour depending again on how many, the size and age of the puppies in my garage.   If they are newborns to 3 weeks with a mommy, its 10 minutes as mom is still doing most if not all the cleaning up of poop.  After that age, its pretty much my job.  If they are little puppies, the messes are smaller and the time to clean less.  If they are, as they are now, seven 10 week old Coonhound puppies, it is a disaster area that necessitate rubber gloves and a hazmat suit (if I only had one) every morning and every evening.  That’s the hour.

Once done, its time for 10 minutes of “me” time for my shower and make up.  Yep, I can look like this is 10 minutes.  But regardless of time, this is as good as its going to get.  I move my dogs to their places for the day…the good dogs in the house.  The “I still like to eat picture frames when you’re gone” dogs share part of the garage.  And then I’m off to my day job.

Yes, I have a day job.  Off to that government job so that I can afford to pay for all those animals, their food, vet care and the necessities of life.   Once that day is over, its back home to let my crew out, change my clothes, clean up the messes from the day, feed them, feed me and then try to catch up on who knows what else.  Clean my house.  Answer the 100 emails.  Respond to messages on any of the four facebook groups we have.  Respond to texts and Facebooks messenger correspondence.  Answer questions from my Blog.  Write a newsletter.  Update our website.  Deal with issues in and about the Shelter and Clinic that require my attention as President, Board member or just a volunteer. 

Read the hundreds of questions that come to me from one place or another – from friends and strangers – a few from this week alone:

“Is ? adopted yet?”

“When is your next vaccine clinic?”

“When will you have a vet?”

“Can someone come get the cat that’s on my porch?”

“Do you know a good horse vet, my friend’s horse is really sick?”

“Found a dog on Rt. 50 near Little Hocking, do you know who it might belong to?”

“How much will it cost to get shots for a puppy?”

“Who is your vet?”

“How do I get static out of my cats hair?”

“My dog is biting me, what do I do?”

“Why won’t anyone call me back about my cats appointment to get fixed in March?”

“Are you sure that Elkhound is an Elkhound?”

“There is a brown dog on my street, I can’t catch.  Carrie Roe can you do something?”

Somewhere in there was a message from my mother, something about my tax return, someone wanting to give me some sort of device to keep dogs in the backseat of the car (???), a new t-shirt design I need to proof (I asked for that), information about a new software tool that I inquired about for doing fundraisers (again, my fault as I asked for that) and news on new animal related legislation in WV.    Just to name a few. 

I share this for one reason and one reason alone.  I am no longer capable of keeping up with everything.  I don’t have it in me.  I want to believe its because I am involved in so many things.  And not that I’m getting old, forgetful and losing my touch at multitasking. I sort of hate to believe that the new era of communication thru the cyber world has so inundated me with input that my 54 year old head just wasn’t designed for this level of incoming traffic.  I know that my 54 year old head that is trying to keep up with just my daily required responsibilities – those animals at the start and end of each day, my day job and my absolutely mandated responsibilities as President (let alone the brief moments when I am a friend, sister, daughter, etc.)  — cannot nor will not even try to live up to the expectations of those who believe that immediate gratification for their needs or their communications is imperative.  I don’t have it in me. 

And even if I did, I suspect I wouldn’t waste it on those who think whatever it is that they want, need, desire or even question is of such importance that I will stop every conversation to answer their message.  Or that I will respond as if my pants are on fire to every beep, burp, raindrop, bottle opening tone from my phone.  I won’t.  Almost rear ended a car the other day on Grand Central when I looked down at my “beeping” phone in traffic.  STUPID STUPID STUPID!

I won’t stop a face to face conversation to look at my phone.  I won’t carry it with me everywhere.  Life still goes on without Facebook, text messaging, etc.  It does.  It really does.

The living breathing things in front of me deserve my attention.  My friends, family, coworkers, employees deserve my attention when with me.  And those things that are really important.  Are really essential for me to lend my energy, heart and head to will get it first.  If I have time to help solve your statically cat I will but don’t hold your breath and don’t be angry when I don’t provide that “only Carrie can answer” solution within 2 milliseconds after you send your message.  If you know me and really are my friend, you know already how fricken crazy my life is.  So you’ll understand.

If you aren’t really my friend.  Don’t really know me and it angers you that I’m not responsive, I don’t really care.  You’re not who I’m trying to please.  You’re certainly NOT interested in me or how I’m doing or what I’m doing.  So take your problem somewhere else.

I want to help animals.  Yes I do.  I do it every day.  I begin each day and end each day in the care of homeless animals, so you can’t make me feel guilty or badly that I’m not doing enough.  In fact, I suspect you know nothing about me if you think I really do have time to be at your beckon call.

So to the guy who was angry because no one is answering your call at our clinic today and wishes us sarcastically luck in the future, you won’t get my help as I can’t help you.  Your need for immediate gratification is of no interest to me.  As I told you repeatedly, our clinic is closed.  We happily will reopen for normal business and hours on Monday and I couldn’t be happier.  But til then you’ll just have to live without knowing whether or not you have an appointment in March.  If I told you the stress, strain, emotion, sadness, elation, drama, heartache, and excitement some of us had been through in the last months you still wouldn’t care.  You want your information NOW! 

Well this won’t be good for customer service, but your problem is not my problem.  Your need for immediate gratification is not mine to fulfill.  And while it seems that much of the world will side with you, I am not willing to join you.

Categories: Shelter Facts