No, I don’t do spay-neuters. Really. I don’t.
By Gina Spadafori
September 3, 2008
I am sure The Pet Connection no-kill shelter in Mission, Kansas, is a wonderful operation. I certainly know they are very good at outreach, because it seems that everyone in the Kansas City metropolitan area knows about them, and picks up the phone to call them when it’s time to spay-neuter a pet.
Problem is, they sometimes call me instead.
Now, actually, that’s really not much of a problem at all. I tell people that we’re not that Pet Connection, tell them that I’m so pleased they’re making plans to take good care of their pets, and give them the correct information.
But now and then, I get someone who argues with me, which is very strange indeed. “But you advertised low-cost spay-neuter! You did! Now tell me the damn prices or I’m going to call the Better Business Bureau!”
Or the first thing in the morning call, which is a heckalot earlier in California, adjusting for time zones. The guy this morning seemed a little disappointed that I didn’t have the other Pet Connection’s phone number (913-671-PETS) on a pad by my bed, and wasn’t going to get out of bed to get it for him.
Small stuff, and actually I’m very happy that our like-named no-kill shelter is doing such great community outreach that the calls and e-mails that accidentally end up with me have grown a lot more frequent over the last year or so.
I guess the occasional 5:30 a.m. call is worth it, all things considered. And maybe I will start keeping that number by the bed. Or looking at my caller ID and ignoring calls from KC at 5:30 a.m.
As a Kansas City person it was funny that when I first found your blog, I thought it was them writing it :)
The KC Pet Connection folks are a good group of people. They aren’t a true No Kill shelter as they do have selective admission. They do a lot of good work…but I do with they would quit calling themselves a no-kill shelter. While it’s true that they don’t kill any of the dogs that come in, they do turn away a lot that become other people’s problems.
Comment by Brent — September 3, 2008 @ 7:09 am
As long as you’re gonna keep their number by your bed, why doncha keep a list of their prices too? And a laptop so you can remote access their computer scheduling and make appointments for people. What about heartworm meds - do you know any good places to buy those, what they charge and if they require a prescription? Also: what time does the Kansas City post office open?
Comment by slt — September 3, 2008 @ 7:14 am
Thanks for the additional info, Brent. I know the reason WHY I’m getting so many of their calls is that our newspaper syndicate (Universal Press) is in KC, and that’s our mailing address. So if you search for Pet Connection and KC, you get us first on The Google.
slt … gosh, you’re right! I could be a LOT more helpful. :)
Comment by Gina Spadafori — September 3, 2008 @ 7:16 am
I’d say that answering phone calls for a successful shelter in Kansas City from your bed in California makes you qualified to be vice-president, though.
Comment by Christie Keith — September 3, 2008 @ 7:38 am
:-) Glad someone else has a similar problem. I hate those 3:00am phone calls—my 800 number is one digit off from a discounted health care provider.
My solution? Now I turn off the ringer and don’t pick up until after 9am. Even with the outgoing message they still don’t get it.
Comment by Diana L Guerrero — September 3, 2008 @ 8:10 am
oh, I know how this works!
Gina’s phone: “Hi this is Gina. I am not connected to the Kansas City Pet Connection shelter. If you’re trying to reach the Kansas City Pet Connection shelter, hang up and dial xxx-xxx-xxxx. If you’re trying to reach me, please leave a message”
person calling; “Hi, I’m calling for the Kansas City Pet Connection shelter; I want to spay my dog; please get back to me with information”.
ARGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHH
Don’t people listen AT ALL???????
Comment by EmilyS — September 3, 2008 @ 9:07 am
My number used to be the number of a siding business. Three years with this number and I’m still getting calls. And no, they don’t listen to the message. They just ask me to call them back with information about the siding business! It’s amusing when it’s not irritating.
Comment by C.L.H — September 3, 2008 @ 9:59 am
The worst: My friends in Thomasville, Georgia, whose number was one digit off the Waffle House. The Waffle House is (or at least, used to be) the only place to eat in Thomasville, Georgia, open after 9 p.m.
I’ve stayed at their house when calls have come in, wee hours:
“Dis WafHouse?” “No.” (Click) (Ring) “Dis WafHouse?” “No, but ..” (Click) (Ring) “Callin’ Wafhouse! Dis WafHouse?”
And so on, all freakin’ night long.
They finally had their number changed.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — September 3, 2008 @ 10:07 am
So funny! I used to have a number that was one digit away from the local pizzeria’s phone #, and when I was feeling particularly irritable, I would occasionally take orders for pizza when customers called me by accident. . . but of course, I was younger then!
Comment by Christine — September 3, 2008 @ 5:21 pm
You have to make it funny if you want them to listen,
Hi! You have NOT reached the KC Pet Connection answering machine. You have called California. Please note that the extremely large charge on your long distance phone bill will be this call because you dialed the incorrect area code. BTW the KC Pet Connection # is XXX XXX XXXX. Have a nice day.
Comment by cheryl — September 3, 2008 @ 5:23 pm
It could be worse… we moved once and our previous phone number belonged to “Prison Fellowship Ministries.” I’m sure they’re a great organization, but we did not appreciate calls from their clientèle.
Comment by Melissa — September 3, 2008 @ 7:32 pm
Brent — For the record, it’s impossible to be a no-kill shelter that is not at least at times closed doors. Even if you are open admission, you’re getting stuck with a ton of shitty (behaviorally, more often than not) dogs for the rest of their miserable little lives, and space fills up. Very quickly, because nobody wants their pooch or kit to be euthanized; they’d rather them spend their lives in the equivalent of pooch-hell (the nicest shelter is still a stressful pit of despair, and many ‘sanctuaries’ that I’ve been to are the worst of all). The only way to be open admission is to euthanize. I do not think this is a bad thing, I think it simply is.
Comment by Grae — September 3, 2008 @ 7:34 pm
Brent — For the record, it’s impossible to be a no-kill shelter that is not at least at times closed doors.
Comment by Grae — September 3, 2008 @ 7:34 pm |Edit This
Grae, for the record, you’re wrong. You seem to be unaware that the no-kill movement isn’t about shelters as hoarding, but about communities of animal lovers working together. This glib derision of no-kill shelters as miserable, life-sentence prisons is straight from PETA’s playbook. In fact, in no-kill communities, shelters ARE open admission — and most sheltered animals walk out alive.
Pardon me if I don’t want shelters to emulate PETA’s 90 percent kill rate.
And I DO think it’s a bad thing to kill animals for space, when there is another way.
And by the way, killing for population control isn’t “euthanizing.”
It’s killing.
Comment by Gina Spadafori — September 3, 2008 @ 8:03 pm
The only way to be open admission is to euthanize. I do not think this is a bad thing, I think it simply is.
That’s not true, though. Number one, it’s not true because killing animals for space is not, by definition, euthanasia.
Second, since there are a number of communities all over this country that don’t kill for space, it’s incorrect on the face of it.
Third, stop talking about no kill SHELTERS. The no kill movement isn’t about shelters, it’s about COMMUNITIES. The idea of no kill SHELTERS, and the blah blah about “warehousing,” is propaganda. Don’t buy it.
Comment by Christie Keith — September 3, 2008 @ 8:05 pm
Dear Gina Spadafori,
Get out of my head.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Christie Keith
Comment by Christie Keith — September 3, 2008 @ 8:06 pm
Dear Christie Keith,
Can you please write a blog post about how to find a great dog, so we can all start arguing about show dogs again? I promised you would, here.
Gina Spadafori
P.S. To readers: Can you tell Christie and I have spent, oh, a million hours on the phone talking about no-kill communities? Now, if only she would agree with me that retrievers are better dog than sighthounds …
Comment by Gina Spadafori — September 3, 2008 @ 8:08 pm
Dear Gina Spadafori,
Jeesh, give me, you know, TEN HOURS to get over this deadline thing before throwing me to the jackals, yo.
Sincerely,
Christie Keith
Comment by Christie Keith — September 3, 2008 @ 8:10 pm
Dear Christie Keith,
I am off to bed now. I expect a blog post, long, insightful and intelligent, to be here when I get my 5 a.m. wake-up call from someone in Kansas City pricing cat spays.
Gina Spadafori
Comment by Gina Spadafori — September 3, 2008 @ 8:12 pm
(Of course, I kid. In fact, no one from KC has ever called before 5:30 a.m. PT.)
:)
Comment by Gina Spadafori — September 3, 2008 @ 8:15 pm
You guys are cracking me up!
Comment by The OTHER Pat — September 3, 2008 @ 8:28 pm
I work for a no kill charity with 17 rehoming centres, so of COURSE I’m going to say that they’re not depressing places. That’s partly because it’s TRUE, of course.
So many times people have written to us saying “we thought a shelter was a depressing place, but your centres are so friendly and the dogs look happy!”. Of course there will be some animals that are miserable from time to time, because kennel stress can affect them no matter how wonderful the surroundings; for these animals we run fostering schemes so that they spend stretches in people’s homes - this makes them more likely to be permanently homed.
I can also assure you (having met a few!) that our sponsor dogs, who might live out their lives in our kennels, are much better off alive and looked after than killed for want of a home. They have loving, consistent care from dedicated carers, toys and visits from supporters, plenty of good food and exercise and a warm, clean, comfy place to sleep.
Please go and visit a well-run no kill shelter before you believe the critics - I’m not telling you you’re wrong, I just want everyone to have some personal experience before making up their own minds!
Comment by Alex — September 4, 2008 @ 8:35 am