A "Tail" of Credibility

This morning I tweeted out this line, "In life, not just business, credibility is the total lack of any appearance of impropriety...ANY!"  Now, for the story behind the tweet.

When I was a young lad, I owned a beloved Boston Terrier, named Ring.  For many years I have wanted another Boston, but life was just too busy to work one in to my schedule.  Or, at least I thought it was.  We all do that kind of self deception by getting way too busy with way too many things that just WAY don't really matter when the laundry is done.  Anyway, after decluttering my life a bit and planning even more decluttering, I decided, that at my age, or any age for that matter, life is getting shorter by the minute, and I should do more of what makes me happy and more of what helps others or improves the world at large.  So, the search for a Boston Terrier began.

In this day and time, where do you start?  The interweb of course!  There are tons of Bostons online!  I mean zillions!  So, first off I had to narrow down my search to what was within reach, both in mileage and fiscally.  That narrowed scope honed down the available list to a few hundred.  From that the search was narrowed even further to shelters, because (a) the kennel pups run from $500 to $600, and (b) still have to be house trained, obedience trained, and raised to adulthood.  That involves missing socks, chewed shoes, lamp cords, etc., not to mention carpet and upholstery cleaning and repair bills.  So a pound dog it was to be.  That narrowed the pool but expanded the mileage range a bit.

The first Boston located was Spike at the Greenville South Carolina Humane Society, a no kill shelter.  The dog read like a dream in his ad.  House trained, sits, stays, rolls over, fetches, and other tricks.  Spike's picture was beautiful.  I was at the shelter the next day when they opened.  He was adopted the day before.  What a let down!  But, we all get let downs and move on.

Next was Woody, a Boston Terrier, at a rescue shelter in Waynesville North Carolina, I wrote them an email, filled in an online application and waited.  Woody and his sister were adopted to a home as a matched set.  That's a little twisted, but all shelter dogs are spayed or neutered.  Woody was a handsome dog, but his poor sister, looked like some grouchy old woman old enough to be his mother.  How many brothers and sisters do you see like that?  Anyway, I moved on.

My next adoption attempt was Buster in a rescue shelter in Rock Hill.  I registered on their web site, and sent them an email.  I called their phone number a zillion times and always got voice mail.  I received automated email responses to my email and to registering on their site and even an automated alert that they had Buddy, a Boston Terrier which was the breed that I had registered interest in.  But I got no live email returns, and three days later haven't had as much as a phone call.  Their mailing address is a PO box, so I couldn't locate them.  The Pet Smart in Rock Hill says the rescue shelter does adoption shows at their store every other week.  So, I could wait another week and then meet a human who could tell me if they still have Buster for adoption, or keep moving.  I wasn't up for waiting a week to be disappointed yet again.

The next Boston I followed up on is where the whole issue of credibility and appearances of impropriety came into play.  Lincoln County North Carolina has an Animal Control center that had posted a cute little Boston named Max, and they are open partial days on Saturday.  So, a quick run into Lincolnton North Carolina with the aid of the good old GPS, located the shelter in a little over an hour. 

Max the Boston was still there, and the animal control officer thought that he must be available, because he had not been there long enough to even go up for adoption yet.  He said the dogs have to stay a certain period first.  That made perfect sense in case an owner came forward and claimed the animal and then there are vaccines, spay/neuter procedures, etc.  He said that I could probably leave a deposit and pick up the dog when he became available.  He even let me visit with Max.  He was a super friendly little Boston with a really great, loving, personality.  So far, this was looking really promising!

Officer Maxwell, (I'm not making this up.  The Boston was named Max and the officer was named Maxwell)..anyway...Officer Maxwell, said he would try to contact the adoption coordinator, Lisa Douglas, who was off for the day, and find out if it would be possible to put up a deposit and how much.  Officer Maxwell really went out of his way to be accommodating and helpful.  He searched through his cell phone for her number and finally locating it, called her.  When he reached Lisa Douglas on the phone she told him Max was not available, but had been already promised to a rescue shelter.  I couldn't believe my ears!  What?  Really!?!

Why would a animal control center that adopts out dogs, to get them a good home, rather give the animal to a rescue shelter who adopts out dogs to get them a home?  Really!?!  They would give the animal over to a rescue shelter rather then someone wishing to pay the $150 adoption fee and give the little Max a great loving home!?!  Really!?!  The rescue shelter would rather the dog be turned over to them to find Max a great loving home than for the animal control center to find Max a great loving home?  Really!?!  Why would either of these entities rather Max be passed to yet another shelter to find a home than go to a ready and waiting loving home?  I couldn't let this rest! 

It made no sense!  Weren't both of these institutions purportedly interested in the best interest of Max?  Weren't they both primarily interested in seeing him placed in a suitable loving home where he would be properly cared for?  Or were they both primarily interested in something else?  That's the only thing that made any sense.  It was time for a little further investigation and consideration of the issues at hand. 

After revisiting the various web sites offering adoptable Bostons, one great difference stood out between the animal control center of Lincoln County North Carolina and the "rescue shelter".  The fee for adoption at Lincoln County Animal Control Center, is $150.  The adoption fee at the "North Carolina Boston Terrier Rescue Shelter" is $350.  That's what clicked in my head.  The exact same thing that is clicking in your head right now as you read this. 

 

As I was later relating this story, someone pointed out to me, that a rescue center can do a background check on the potential new owners and that the animal control center couldn't.  Bologna! Baloney!  Anyone can legally run a background check if they have a signed release from the party being investigated.  And it isn't that expensive.  I get them every day in my line of work, and credit and criminal background checks are combined less then $20.  So that doesn't explain the $200 difference in adoption fees.  I smell something mercenary!

Maybe it was already being repeatedly disappointed or maybe just my encountering so many scammers from my day job environment.  You tell me.  Does it sound like someone is skimming profits off of pound pups to you?  Don't get me wrong, I could have adopted a mongrel mutt that day from the Lincoln County Animal Control for $150 as a done deal.  It was the purebred dog that became the issue.  I couldn't adopt it at all!  If Lincoln County had asked additional money for a purebred dog, I wouldn't have blinked.  It was the fact that the dog under some circumstance was being turned over to another shelter that would jack up the price that fired me up.  That, and the fact that they rather move Max the Boston on to another shelter than give him a good, loving home.

But for my part, all ended well.  Another dog was located at a legitimate animal rescue in Ashville North Carolina.  The folks at the Animal Compassion Network were just super to work with.  The Boston formerly known as Roscoe, was located on the net, late Saturday afternoon, just before they closed business for the day.  A quick phone call and hope was kindled once again that a Boston would bless my life and home. 

On Sunday afternoon when they reopened their operation at Pet Harmony, I visited their adoption event and met the former Roscoe the Boston Terrier, who needed a permanent home.  We bonded immediately.  What can I say?  Paperwork, background checks, and a $200 adoption fee for a purebred and a few other purchases later, then Roscoe snoozed most of the way back to South Carolina.  I did say the "former" Roscoe the Boston Terrier.  His new name is, Roscoe "Buddy" Fowler.  When he registers at the vet that's what his file will read. 

I call him Buddy for short, because he seems to react sheepishly to Roscoe.  I think it was because he was fussed at and maybe abused.  He seems to love it when he's called Buddy, so being a respectable dog now with a proper home and all, I figured Roscoe was due a full name.  Roscoe Buddy Fowler.  I may have had a cousin by that name, but that's not relevant.  The point I am making here is, there is a difference in how people perceive different businesses and entities, even government and non-profits, based on how they do business.  Ethics and propriety are important, and appearances are as important as realities.

 

None of us can afford the appearance of impropriety, at any time.  Just one incidence of the appearance of impropriety destroys all of our previous work to build credibility, and public trust.  In this instance, I lost faith in the Lincoln County Animal Control Adoption coordinator.  But, I gained a tremendous appreciation for the great work that the Animal Compassion Network and other non-breed specific rescue shelters do.  They were upfront about everything, fees and all.  The easier to adopt animals are cheaper and the purebreds are a bit more.  This helps buy the animal food, vaccinations, and pay the rent and utility bills.

Obviously, not all animal rescue shelters are operated on the same level of credibility.  I highly recommend that if you can, lend support to the Animal Compassion Network and patronize their Pet Harmony store, where all profits from pet food and supplies sales goes to help the rescue animals.  Their prices are comparable to other retail centers.  You can visit their web site at http://www.animalcompassionnetwork.org/ 

or visit them at 803 Fairview Street, Ashville, North Carolina. Tell them you heard about them through Roscoe the Boston Terrier.

Lincoln County North Carolina Animal Control has an appearance of impropriety problem!  The lesser intelligent seldom even learn from their own failures, or few successes.  The most intelligent people learn from not only their own, but also other people's, mistakes, and successes. 

Roscoe Buddy happy at home.

Surround yourself with people who love you, work that you love, and a cause that you believe in.

Your comments, "likes", "twitters" and "pins" are welcome!  Follow me on twitter @earlefowler