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Thursday's Thought of the Day - Rescuer's Answering Machine

By
Real Estate Agent with Diane Turton, Realtors, Forked River, NJ

Hello: You have reached ___-____, Tender Hearts Rescue. Due to the high volume of calls we have been receiving, please listen closely to the following options and choose the one that best describes you or
your situation:

Press 1 if you have a 10-year-old dog and your 15-year-old son has suddenly become allergic and you need to find the dog a new home right away.

Press 2 if you are moving today and need to immediately place your 150 pound, 8-year-old dog.

Press 3 if you have three dogs, had a baby and want to get rid of your dogs because you are the only person in the world to have a baby and dogs at the same time.

Press 4 if you just got a brand new puppy and your old dog is having problems adjusting so you want to get rid of the old one right away.

Press 5 if your little puppy has grown up and is no longer small and cute and you want to trade it in for a new model.

Press 6 if you want an unpaid volunteer to come to your home TODAY and pick up the dog you no longer want.

Press 7 if you have been feeding and caring for a "stray" for the last three years, are moving and suddenly determine it's not your dog.

Press 8 if your dog is sick and needs a vet but you need the money for your vacation.

Press 9 if you are elderly and want to adopt a cute puppy who is not active and is going to outlive you.

Press 10 if your relative has died and you don't want to care for their elderly dog because it doesn't fit your lifestyle.

Press 14 if you are calling at 6 a.m. to make sure you wake me up before I have to go to work so you can drop a dog off on your way to work.

Press 15 to leave us an anonymous garbled message, letting us know you have left a dog in our yard in the middle of January, which is in fact, better than just leaving the dog with no message.

Press 16 if you are going to get angry because we are not going to take your dog that you have had for fifteen years, because it is not our responsibility.

Press 17 if you are going to threaten to take your ten year old dog to be euthanized because I won't take it.

Press 18 if you're going to get angry because the volunteers had the audacity to go on vacation and leave the dogs in care of a trusted volunteer who is not authorized to take your personal pet.

Press 19 if you want one of our PERFECTLY trained, housebroken, kid and cat friendly purebred dogs that we have an abundance of.

Press 20 if you want us to take your dog that has a slight aggression problem, i.e.. has only bitten a few people and killed your neighbor's cats.

Press 21 if you have already called once and been told we don't take personal surrenders but thought you would get a different person this time with a different answer.

Press 22 if you want us to use space that would go to a stray to board your personal dog while you are on vacation, free of charge, of course.

Press 23 if it is Christmas Eve or Easter morning and you want me to deliver an eight week old puppy to your house by 6:30 am before your kids wake up.

Press 24 if you have bought your children a duckling, chick or baby bunny for Easter and it is now Christmas and no longer cute.

Press 25 if you want us to take your female dog who has already had ten litters, but we can't spay her because she is pregnant again and it is against your religion.

Press 26 if you're trying to make one of our younger volunteers feel bad and take your personal pet off your hands.

Press 27 if your cat is biting and not using the litter box because it is declawed, but you are not willing to accept the responsibility that the cat's behavior is altered because of your nice furniture.

Press 28 if your two year old male dog is marking all over your house but you just haven't gotten around to having him neutered.

Press 29 if you previously had an outdoor only dog and are calling because she is suddenly pregnant.

Press 30 if you have done "everything" to housebreak your dog and have had no success but you don't want to crate the dog because it is cruel.

Press 31 if you didn't listen to the message asking for an evening phone number and you left your work number when all volunteers are also working and you are angry because no one called you back.

Press 32 if you need a puppy immediately and cannot wait because today is your daughter's birthday and you forgot when she was born.

Press 33 if your dog's coat doesn't match your new furniture and you need a different color or breed.

Press 34 if your new love doesn't like your dog and you are too stupid to get rid of the new friend (who will dump you in the next month anyway) instead of the dog.

Press 35 if you went through all these 'options' and didn't hear enough. This press will connect you to the sounds of tears being shed by one of our volunteers who is holding a discarded old dog while the vet mercifully frees him from a life of no medical care, severe neglect and abuse..

Author Unknown, but much appreciated

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ToulaRosebrock,com

Toula N. Rosebrock (of Diane Turton, Realtors) - Broker / Sales Associate - Specializing in all of Ocean County - Lacey Township Real Estate, Forked River / Lanoka Harbor

Unique Name ... Unique Agent ... Unique Service!

Websites: www.Toula.org and www.ToulaRosebrock.com

Waterfront Properties, Single Family Homes, Multi Family Homes, Condos, Townhomes, Adult Communities, Vacant

Comments (21)

Carol Smith
Casmi Photography - Mebane, NC

OUTSTANDING!  If you don't mind I have many people I would like to share this with.  Thank you so much for sharing.

Aug 20, 2009 12:09 AM
Michael Setunsky
Woodbridge, VA
Your Commercial Real Estate Link to Northern VA

Hi Toula, it is unbelievable the excuses some people can come up with for giving up their pets. Too bad!

Aug 20, 2009 12:21 AM
Charlie Ragonesi
AllMountainRealty.com - Big Canoe, GA
Homes - Big Canoe, Jasper, North Georgia Pros

Hi Toula this is a good post and is so often so tragically true. Thank you for giving us all the bad resons people feel they can use when dealing with a life

Aug 20, 2009 12:28 AM
Gabe Sanders
Real Estate of Florida specializing in Martin County Residential Homes, Condos and Land Sales - Stuart, FL
Stuart Florida Real Estate

I can read this as sad as to the fate of the poor animals, or as funny as to the long selection of voice prompts when you call some companies.  Nice post Toula.

Aug 20, 2009 12:41 AM
Sasha Miletic - Windsor Real Estate
RE/MAX Preferred Realty Ltd. - Windsor, ON

Hi Toula, Nice post. Thanks for sharing.

Best - Sash

Aug 20, 2009 01:23 AM
Pat Whitehouse
RE/MAX 1st Olympic Lynchburg Va - Lynchburg, VA
Broker/Owner

Hi Toula-Very good post. It is sad there is so much abuse and neglect of animals. It breaks my heart.

Aug 20, 2009 01:40 AM
Kristin Johnston - REALTORĀ®
RE/MAX Platinum - Waukesha, WI
Giving Back With Each Home Sold!

Toula, I love the ending....funny with the vmail prompts and so true in some cases...that can be very frustrating!  And, don't get me started on the animals....you know me!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Aug 20, 2009 01:58 AM
Craig Rutman
Helping people in transition - Cary, NC
Raleigh, Cary, Apex area Realtor

Toula, it's truly a shame that folks would even think of getting rid of their family pet for some of the reasons in your post.

People should remember that getting a pet is a 10-20 year commitment.

Aug 20, 2009 02:34 AM
Toula Rosebrock
Diane Turton, Realtors, Forked River, NJ - Lacey Township, NJ
Broker/Sales Associate, Realtor, Lacey Township,

Hi Rick - It's my dream job too!

Aug 20, 2009 05:00 AM
Toula Rosebrock
Diane Turton, Realtors, Forked River, NJ - Lacey Township, NJ
Broker/Sales Associate, Realtor, Lacey Township,

Hi Carol - Feel free to share, anytime!

Aug 20, 2009 05:01 AM
Toula Rosebrock
Diane Turton, Realtors, Forked River, NJ - Lacey Township, NJ
Broker/Sales Associate, Realtor, Lacey Township,

Hi Michael - And it's always a lame excuse too...

Aug 20, 2009 05:02 AM
Toula Rosebrock
Diane Turton, Realtors, Forked River, NJ - Lacey Township, NJ
Broker/Sales Associate, Realtor, Lacey Township,

Hi Charlie - and this is only the tip of the iceberg!!

Aug 20, 2009 05:03 AM
Toula Rosebrock
Diane Turton, Realtors, Forked River, NJ - Lacey Township, NJ
Broker/Sales Associate, Realtor, Lacey Township,

Hi Gabe - It's true...funny in one sense...sad in the other...

Aug 20, 2009 05:04 AM
Toula Rosebrock
Diane Turton, Realtors, Forked River, NJ - Lacey Township, NJ
Broker/Sales Associate, Realtor, Lacey Township,

Hi Sash - Thanks for stopping by!

Aug 20, 2009 05:04 AM
Toula Rosebrock
Diane Turton, Realtors, Forked River, NJ - Lacey Township, NJ
Broker/Sales Associate, Realtor, Lacey Township,

Hi Pat - It's breaks my heart too!

Aug 20, 2009 05:05 AM
Toula Rosebrock
Diane Turton, Realtors, Forked River, NJ - Lacey Township, NJ
Broker/Sales Associate, Realtor, Lacey Township,

Hi Kristin - YEP....I do know you!!!  I knew that you would enjoy this one...

Aug 20, 2009 05:05 AM
Toula Rosebrock
Diane Turton, Realtors, Forked River, NJ - Lacey Township, NJ
Broker/Sales Associate, Realtor, Lacey Township,

Hi Craig - You are absolutely correct....it's a long term commitment!

Aug 20, 2009 05:06 AM
Rita Minion
O'Brien Realty - Solomons, MD

Hello Toula,

Thank you for sharing your outstanding post.  The ending -- Press #35 brought me to tears. 

Rita

 

Aug 20, 2009 05:07 AM
Lou Ludwig
Ludwig & Associates - Boca Raton, FL
Designations Earned CRB, CRS, CIPS, GRI, SRES, TRC

Hi Toula

Quite a list of excuses they are to funny.

Good luck and success.

Lou Ludwig

Aug 20, 2009 11:55 AM
Susan Neal
RE/MAX Gold, Fair Oaks - Fair Oaks, CA
Fair Oaks CA & Sacramento Area Real Estate Broker

Hi Toula - This is pretty funny, but I'll bet many of these calls do come in with those same stories.

Aug 20, 2009 05:37 PM