You may not know this, but my paying gig is Child Protective Investigator. When someone calls in a report to the Child Abuse Hotline, I’m the one that goes out to check on the child(ren) to see if they’re safe. You may see me at your door any hour of the day or night, including weekends and holidays. If I know ahead of time there may be trouble, I’ll bring a law enforcement officer with me, but most likely I’ll be alone. Unarmed. Making my way into your house to see just what’s going on.
When it’s determined that a child is unsafe, I’m the one that loads them up in my car and takes them to a place that IS safe.
One thing I’ve noticed in cases where removal was necessary was the parent(s) knew in the back of their mind that something was wrong, but they chose not to focus on it. Instead they focused on me. I’m breaking up their home. I’m tearing their children away from their mommy. And in some cases they convince other family members and friends that they are in the right and I’m wrong.
That’s when I remind myself who I work for- the children who depend on people like me to protect them. I don’t work for the state. I don’t care that you pay taxes. I am solely focused on those children.
I do the same thing when I write this blog.
So when people get pissed off because I write about so-called animal lovers who are anything but, I remember who I’m writing for.
Hoarding is the number animal cruelty issue for domesticated animals. And it’s no secret that many hoarders are getting into the rescue act. There are articles dating back to 2010 noting that fact. But it seems that some animal rescuers would rather we not talk about that problem, for fear that it might make THEM look bad.
I don’t know who you advocate for, but I advocate for animals. And I don’t care who I piss off in doing that. I’m not the least bit worried about rescuers. If you’re doing right, then you can take care of yourself. And we all know there are plenty who are doing right.
If you disagree with my calling out the bad apples, I suggest that instead you find another blog to read, cuz this sister ain’t shutting up for nobody. I stand for animals. The humans amongst you are on your own.
ASPCA: Frequently Asked Questions about Hoarding
LA Times: One-fourth of New Animal Hoarding Cases Involve Rescuers, ASPCA Expert Says.
Dallas Observer: The Thin Line Between Dog Rescuing and Dog Hoarding
Dogpaddling Through Life 
So true! If the rescue/rescuer is doing the right thing then they’ve got no reason to be offended. A hoarder is a hoarder is a hoarder and should not be protected, someone has to look out for those who cannot speak for themselves.
So why are people in the rescue community tip-toeing around these bad actors? We should be calling them out at the top of our lungs? But we don’t. That bothers me a great deal, and makes me feel we are somehow complicit in the deceit.
Brightest Blessings.
Well spoken!
Thanks Ingrid!
You are amazing. I think we need more people like you who are prepared to ‘speak out’. But more importantly – you are a ‘doer’ with only the best in mind.
Yeah, and for my efforts I’ll probably end up on some animal rescue black list. LOL
Fank you fur standin’ up fuw da childwen and fuw da animals. Mommy stands up fuw da animals tu no mattew what people say. Her sez wes’ can’t speak wiff a voice dat can be heawd and unnewstood so dat means is hers job tu du it. Hers been in da wescue business and out and knows dat those hoo be duin’ fings wight also wanna dwaw ‘tension tu da bad. Hav a Pawsum day!!
Luv and Hugs and Kitty Kisses 😀
Dezi
Yes, but once you do draw attention to the bad actors, be prepared for people to get mad at ya. I just don’t get that.
Wes’ unnewstand boff sides of it and purrlenty of people hav been mad at mommy fuw speakin’ out, afuw. Havin’ been in wescue herself she knows how hawd it is tu get suppowt fuw da good wescues specially when stowwys ’bout da bad ones makin’ da fwunt page. Cuz fuw evew 1 bad one der’s 9 good ones fightin’ tu suwvive and du da wight fing. Mommy also knows how easy it is tu get ovewwhelmed cuz der’s so many unwanted animals out der and wescuews weally du hav a heawt fuw da animals. And it’s one of da last placees people donate munny and time tu. 😦 And den when a stowwy ’bout a bad one hits da aiwwaves people get scawed off. It’s a vicious cycle. At da end of da day, Wes’ wish mowe people wuld take a stand and du wight by da animals. Wes’ wish bweedews wuld quit bweedin’ just cuz dey can or want da munny. Wes’ wish people wuld spay and neutew and wes’ wish der wus no fewal colonies or stways tu hav tu take cawe of cuz dey all had luvvin’ fuwevew homes. Wes’ wish so much, but alas da wowld is not gettin’ bettew so wes’ just hav tu keep purrayin’ and fightin’ fuw those hoo can’t speak fuw demselves. Hav a Pawsum Furiday!!
Luv and Hugs and Kitty Kisses 😀
Dezi
A hoarder is someone with a mental illness who deserves some pity too. They need help and in England we are lucky to have the free health care and NHS who do so when a case of hoarding is discovered. This sort of thing needs to spread across the pond as it is the only way I know of to stop these people reoffending.
I am absolutely for the animals too and I do care, its part of why I love reading your blog because I feel I am learning about so many issues I didn’t know about. But I also care for people because ultimately I believe that empathy for ALL creatures on this Earth makes me a better person.
I’m sure that the person who commented on your previous piece did not intend to shame you but to point out that there are good rescues out there and it’s important to give a balanced view of good with the bad.
~ Amy
Oh, so you think I am making all rescues look bad?
Not at all. I think you do an amazing job highlighting the plight of animals in rescues and in need. I was just trying to help you understand where the other person is coming from.
I would just like to add that my favourite part of your blog was the hisses and purrs because it perfectly balanced the good and the bad.
Balance is such a useful thing
xxxx
I think it’s high time we start talking about those in our midst who are a part of the problem- the serial rescuers who are not rescuers at all. They sap money from legitimate rescuer groups for what they claim are rescues, but are nothing but horror factories for animals. It’s very important to me and I’m going to keep talking about it until we start admitting to ourselves that some in our midst are bad actors.
I don’t anyone is denying there are hoarders and thankfully I don’t think any in our midst (ie bloggy friends) are involved in any way. Yes draw attention to it but balancing thing out with positive or inspiring stories wouldn’t be so bad either. Ultimately its your blog and up to you but thats what I would do.
xxxx
nope, ain’t gonna do that. But like I said, reading this blog is a choice you don’t have to make.
I love reading your blog and I will continue to. A difference of opinion on one matter does not lessen my love of animals nor the enjoyment I gain from learning new things and issues I might never have known about.
It would make me pretty small minded if I refused contact with everyone who had a different opinion!
xxxx
It’s a shame you don’t have a donate button! I’d certainly donate to
this fantastic blog! I guess for now i’ll settle for book-marking
and adding your RSS feed to my Google account.
I look forward to fresh updates and will share this blog with my Facebook group.
Chat soon!
If you want to donate money, find a rescue in your community that is doing good work, that means, doing your homework, and give them your money They can put it to good use.
With you all the way, animals can’t speak up for themselves.
No, and one of the greatest wrongs we can do to animals is to let someone abuse them in a hoarding situation while we praise the hoarder as a good person because they call themselves a rescuer.
Hear hear! Great post and I’m with you all the way. Animals need us to speak up for them because they can’t – simple as that.
The one animal I have made a lifetime of studying is the human, and I don’t think I’ll ever figure that creature out.
Keep talking! xoxoM
I usually do. 🙂
Well said!!!
It’s sad that you have to defend yourself, but know this—I appreciate what you have to say and share and thank you for the jobs that you do both on your blog and during your daytime job.
And God bless you Jen the world needs more like you ! Thank you for all your hard work , in your day job and your blog!! xxxxxxxxx
You’re amazing lady Jen! You save Children who are in poor circumstances and you also give lots of loves to animals….Thank you so much for what you’ve been doing for both humans and animals.
Here here! Well said! I had no idea you did that for child abuse. Good for you! It is amazing how people can side with the wrong person in those situations.
I like how you speak your mind. Things need to be said and not a whole lot of people have the guts to say and do the things that you do. So again I say Here here!!
ღ husky hugz ღ frum our pack at Love is being owned by a husky!
Reblogged this on teenstodayproject.
I am totally with you on this. These so called rescues should be in the ADL www. pet-abuse.com database but they are never prosecuted but rather given time to re-distribute the animals. Same with the puppy millers. They go hand in hand. They make bad puppies that end up sick and in shelters and rescues, then they get hoarded by so called rescues and then end up back in the shelter.
I think part of the problem is there is no oversight. Once the dog is out the door, the shelter washes it hands. The rescue that has been a hero, gets there donations and then passes the very sick un-adoptable dogs to these sanctuaries. Then when all hell breaks loose, they claim they were not able to get in touch, dropped out of site, etc. Then if they do get arrested, they are usually given a slap on the wrist and told they cannot own animals for two years so they move to another state.
They should be made to wear GPS systems and tracked like pedophiles.
You can talk for me when my mouth is full. Thank you and thank you for your posts.
I liked your statistic. Child abuse is certainly second only to animal abuse in my mind. But here’s another interesting statistic for you, that I commonly evoke when arguing with the everybody should have a gun crowd.
Your chances of being wrongly incarcerated – for a crime you did not commit – are better than your chances of either being killed in a violent crime, or of being blown up by terrorists.
Thank goodness for people like you, Jen!
Agree with you Jen x
Hear! Hear!!! ❤
The flowing love and nuture you share Jen matters and I think you are a ‘voice’ for those who we cannot hear. All energy for you my lovely. Xx
Well written, Jen and Rumpy! 🙂
N we stand rite wif ya Miss Jen n Rumpy too!!!
Lub ❤ Nylablue ❤ n Sherriellen Mum too xoxo
Continue the good fight, Jen. Animals and abused children do need a voice like yours to speak when have no voice.
There are many words more wise than I can come up with on my own regarding advocacy, but from these “..things are never as complicated as they seem. It is only our arrogance that prompts us to find unnecessarily complicated answers to simple problems.”, Muhammad Yunus, the word arrogance leaps out at me. And when I think of arrogance, I think of false pride, and of ego. For some it seems easy to believe they are doing good, or no harm, if they don’t truly examine their motives and means. Sometimes humans aren’t as smart as they think they are.
I like your blog and your honesty.
“We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.” Elie Wiesel