"rdsatkaycee"....PLEASE. Who died and made you the voice of reason? Also - ..."kick jettapony when he/she is down"? This person apologized because they HAD TO. Because their language and/or attitude was so bad it got edited out. I agree - goodbye.
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PLEASE. Who died and made you the voice of reason? Also - ..."kick jettapony when he/she is down"? This person apologized because they HAD TO.
You're right, I'm not the 'voice for reason', just trying to help someones that's being bullied. I don't understand "This person apologized because they HAD TO." What do you mean 'had to.' Was someone holding a gun to their head or what?
Oops, I said I wouldn’t post on this again but I really wanted to say thanks to you for trying to make a point to them.
Thanks for trying to help. These two who responded to my post are real pieces. By the way, even though it said my post was edited, I could not see where it had. I had not said anything too rude to them or used profanity. One of theirs was edited also. I have just been amazed how they have attacked me because of my feelings regarding this one program. All I said was why show these deaths when there was no lesson to be learned? It made them all look bad.
I have something I would like to say, PLEASE READ. I strongly agree with alot of you but I'm almost sure most of you don't know this!! I have to say that I have never in my life seen a person who loved their job as much as Andy does! Just to give you an example. When they were told they were going to help right after Hurricane Katrina hit my hart sank I had CNN on that whole weekend before they all left and knowing what he was walking into all he could say was they need us and we can help them right on the spot, night after night they all sleep on top of the ambulances, and when he finally came home something was wrong with him I could just see it in his eyes, they regrouped and off he went for the second time. He later told me that they left things unfinished ( In his mind ) there was still so much to be done and he felt like he abandon them! And getting the chance to go back gave him some closure. Andy has since been promoted to Field Operations Manager and they are all always thinking of new and better ways to do there already hard job even better!! We are so proud of them all, their job is very hard but they all do it with such ease. You can't help but think God works in mysterious ways. And talking with Andy day after day story after story they all do the best they can and that is more then most of us can say! They Are True Animal Rescue Heroes!!
Not to make light of the contributions of what the EAMTs did after Katrina but there were a lot of animal rescue groups that went to Louisiana and Mississippi to help. In fact, Alley Cat Allies still has people down in those areas helping the feral cats.
Besides the AHS, another group from the Phoenix area also was involved in rescuing animals and that was AzCATs. I think all the rescue groups that went to help should be applauded, not just certain ones.
Starr:
As your husband can probably tell you, the EAMTs do have a working relationship with other animal rescue organizations in the Phoenix area. The EAMTs have come to help the other rescue groups when they needed it and vice versa. So, maybe the word hero isn't just limited to just the EAMTs but to every rescue group that goes out there to help the animals.
Oh I couldn't agree with you more!! In fact that was how Animal Planet and the AZHS came to be! They were both in California for the BIG Fire a few years back and as you may or may not know the EAMT's (Emergency Animal Medical Technician) They are the only team of animal paramedics in the United States and have the training and equipment to stabilize sick and injured animals in the field before transporting them to their hospital. Thus the Pilot was born! After reading some of the comments in regards to the episode with the puppies I felt that the point and goal of every EAMT is to Save Save Save as many as they can! And I felt some of the comments were a little unfair and I wanted people to know that yes that show was very sad and hard to watch but when you look at the big picture and see just how many lives are saved Annually, the EAMTs respond to about 13,000 calls throughout the greater Phoenix metropolitan area, Maricopa County and the state – that’s more than 30 calls a day about animals in distress! Every year, on average, our EAMTs respond to 3,000 calls regarding injured dogs; 1,750 calls about injured cats; 1,500 calls regarding animal abandonment; and 6,300 calls about suspected animal abuse or neglect. The most common call about neglect involves pets who have no water or shelter, especially during the hot summer months. On average, our EAMTs investigate 350 such neglect calls per month. AND SAD TO SAY BUT! STILL COUNTING!!!
One thing to note on that one Starr, is the fact that some animal rescue groups have a little bit more skill in some areas of animal rescue than the EAMTs do. When it comes to feral cats, the AHS will often go to AzCATs for help. That organization is more equipped to deal with the situation than the EAMTs are.
When the EAMTs get a call about feral cats they will often direct the person to AzCATs. The EAMTs actually carry cards on them which they will hand out to the public with AzCATs number. The EAMTs usually try to convince the person calling that TNR is the best option and AzCATs has the skill and equipment to trap the cats in order to get them to the clinics. The AHS is not equipped to deal with ferals.
The AHS has however assisted AzCATs with their spaying and neutering. Last month the AHS lent their staff and their hospital to help AzCATs reach their goal of spaying & neutering 1,200 cats. This was a huge undertaking but a much better option than euthanizing.
The EAMTs are very glad to have AzCATs around since that organization does a lot in the community and certainly lightens the load a bit for them.
I think one thing needs to be noted. When cat & kitten season happens the AHS is not the only organization taking calls. The other shelters around the Phoenix metro area are also taking calls for cats needing help. This is especially true during the summer months.
As for Animal Planet, I think the show is cool but I am not sure the show is as well balanced as it should be. They have had a quite a few episodes where things were pretty bad for the animal they rescued and at the end of each episode it was a happy ending. When an animal has to be euthanized they mention it briefly and it becomes more of an afterthought. The people watching can go during the commercial break and say "oh that poor animal" and then are watching the next rescues where most if not all of the animals make it. This isn't as realistic or balanced.
It is understandable that Animal Planet wants the viewer in the end to go away with a good feeling, but I think they need episodes which also show the losses in the end as well. This can do more to educate a person about what the EAMTs go through than ending every episode positively. Animal cruelty is an every day occurance not something that happens every 6 months. The EAMTs are on the front lines when it comes to this issue and not every case for them turns out to be a victory. Animal Planet needs to show this more often in their episodes.
In all fairness though, I don't think the EAMTs raw emotion can be caught by a camera. I think a lot of time it needs to be written. Cat Galaxy is certainly covering that angle and has done very well in capturing what the EAMTs go through every single day. It shows both the victories and the defeats and no fluff is involved.
It might interest some of you to know how dedicated the EAMTs are to the job. They will often rescue animals even when they're off-duty. They also have adopted a few of the animals they have rescued and have been known to visit the ones that are recovering in the hospital after their shift is over. This is another reason why I have a lot of respect for the EAMTs and I think it is great they're out there doing this difficult job.
Please don't take what I write as meaning that the AHS and the EAMTs are the only people acting on behalf of the animals in our area. There are obviously thousands who do, and each has their place. What I am trying to do is give a certain perspective on a specific group of people, namely the EAMTs of the AHS.
That being said, I think it is a little bit misleading to say that the AHS is not equipped to handle feral cats - they do it every day. What the AHS and the EAMTs refer people to AzCATS for is their trap/neuter/release program (which the AHS assists with). As you stated in an earlier post the AHS takes in 850 cats per week. In total the AHS takes in about 50,000 animal per year. That volume of animals more than occupies all of their staff and volunteers. AzCATS has volunteers and their limited paid staff working strictly on the ENORMOUS stray/feral cat problem specifically. That is the segment of the animal welfare world they have chosen to help. From what I understand, they are great, do a lot with limited resources, and save thousands of cats a year from being euthanized. They do a lot of work on feral cat colonies that have a caretaker; that is, someone who will put out food and water for them. That is why the EAMTs refer the public to AzCATS.
The EAMTs however, have to deal with those members of the public who just want all of the cats to be gone, and who sometimes do things like put out poison to kill the cats that come onto their property. (Which is illegal.) The EAMTs also deal with the feral cats that show up at someone's house sick, or who get injured in some way. And it happens every day.
The AHS is very well equipped to handle ferals, but only as it relates to certain aspects of the feral cat problem in the valley. To make a blanket statement that "the AHS is not equipped to handle ferals" is far too broad.
So, again, there are many many animal welfare organizations and groups and individuals out there. Each has its place in the world. No one group, including the AHS, can do it all. Everyone involved in animal welfare chooses their focus and hopefully everything gets covered. If there is a gap, I know you can call the AHS, because even when it is something out of their scope of expertise, they will do what they can to help.
And isn't that the real point, to help?
Everyone involved in animal welfare, no matter how big or small a part they play, is a HERO!
Actually it is fair to say the EAMTs and the AHS are not equipped to handle feral cats as a whole. If the cat gets themselves stuck in a situation where the EAMTs are called in to rescue them that is one thing, but generally when it comes to tackling the issues regarding feral cats, the EAMTs nor the AHS are not equipped to deal with the situation. AzCATs is the one organization that is called in to deal with the situation. I doubt highly the EAMTs are going to take time out to trap a feral and then get them to the shelter for spaying and neutering.
Also, it is important to note that if a feral cat is brought into the shelter by the EAMTs and they do not belong to any established colony (meaning the cat has not yet been ear tipped or spayed or neutered) they are often euthanized because the AHS has no means to deal with them. The AHS will certainly not put a feral cat through to adoption because they often can't be handled by human hands except by the caregiver or the vet doing the spaying or neutering.
When it comes to a member of the public complaining about feral cats the EAMTs will refer that person to AzCATs instead of dealing with the issues themselves unless of course the feral cat has been hit by a car or needs immediate medical attention. Hopefully this clears things up.
After taking some time away from the computer I had time to really think about all of the comments, including my own, and I think that for a bit we lost sight of what is most important to all of us - that being the Animals in Every breed! We are all very loyal to the group we support and it shows in our replys to one another.
rdsatkaycee - no, I'm sure no one held a gun to their head...whatever. My point was that they were reprimanded by the editor of this webpage, THEN they changed their tune. That's all. Re-read that exchange. And I hardly think we were bullying. That's a bit much. Besides, I'd love to see what jettapony wrote before the edits were made by the modifyer.
"catprotector" and "starrsoapandcandle" I have loved the interchange between you. I think all of the folks working to save our animals are heroes. Regardless of the outcome. I was working on a case with the Humane Society over this Thanksgiving weekend and still to this day can't believe the insensitivity and ignorance of some people. I am so thankful there are so many people out there who will give their time and energy to this cause. I agree with "catprotector" that sometimes the shows are a bit sugar-coated. I don't in ANY way like to see animals in pain (jettapony) - I feel physically ill when I do see it. However, as pointed out, it helps educate and makes people aware of the great need for donations and volunteers. I continue to be amazed and applaud these great citizens as they fight for those who do not have a voice.
Thanks. All I wanted to show was that there are many rescue groups out there working to save animals not just the AHS. They also have resources and experience available that the AHS doesn't have. On that same token they all work together as well and the AHS has resources they don't.
The no-kills and smaller groups for example certainly don't get half the recognition they should. They also don't get half the donations the AHS gets and many of them operate on very low budgets. Still they go out and save animals. It was one of the points I was briefly trying to make.
Starr comes from a different side of the spectrum because her husband is an EAMT so she supports the AHS probably more so than any other group. I, on the other hand have worked with many different groups (including AHS) and I tend to feel that the no-kills and smaller groups also deserve to be recognized for their efforts, not just one group. However, that being said they are all trying to achieve the same goal of saving as many animals as they can which is why the groups are now working together more than they have in the past.
I think if Animal Planet really wanted to, they could bring their cameras to the no-kill shelters or go out with AzCATs on a trapping and see the spay/neuter clinics. It may seem like boring TV for some but very important to note how many groups that the AHS actually work with and that these groups exist in the Phoenix metro area.
This message has been edited. Last edited by: catprotector,
Once again I will point out to you that the moderator was not just talking about my posts. You did happen to notice that you also had a post edited by the moderator. We all needed to cool it.
It's obvious that we care deeply about animals and their welfare, so please let's just end this unnecessary meanness.
I didn't deserve the initial and ongoing attack by you and Cat just because I was angered and so saddened by that episode that I lashed out in my post. You all really made it so much worse by your responses. I told you before that I was not meaning to attack the EAMTs, just the episode.
Once again I will point out to you that the moderator was not just talking about my posts. You did happen to notice that you also had a post edited by the moderator. We all needed to cool it.
It's obvious that we care deeply about animals and their welfare, so please let's just end this unnecessary meanness.
I didn't deserve the initial and ongoing attack by you and Cat just because I was angered and so saddened by that episode that I lashed out in my post. You all really made it so much worse by your responses. I told you before that I was not meaning to attack the EAMTs, just the episode.
Ongoing attack? How can you claim facts as being some sort of attack? As for making it worse, the only one who did that was you. I posted in defense of the EAMTs who are out there every day doing a very difficult job. I think what was bad form was attacking the EAMT unit simply because you felt they don't act fast enough after watching one particular episode. These people work hard enough already without having to take it on the chops from people who haven't been with them on the rescues. I, for one have a lot of respect for them and the job they do.
rdsatkaycee - no, I'm sure no one held a gun to their head...whatever. My point was that they were reprimanded by the editor of this webpage, THEN they changed their tune. That's all. Re-read that exchange. And I hardly think we were bullying. That's a bit much.
Thank you for the reminder, so I did re-read the posts, and I stand by what I said, I detected badgering and bullying from you AFTER THE APPOLOGY. Continuing to badgering someone after they have appologized is badgering and bullying to me. Also you did make the claim "This person apologized because they HAD TO." They didn't have to at all, it was some sort of exagerating on your part. Where is your appology on this???
"rdsatkaycee" - LET IT GO. NOW who is badgering and bullying? It doesn't even concern you. All you have posted is about behavior, not anything to do with animals or how to better the situation. Time to but out.
Also - I do not intend to apologize for speaking my mind and I stand by what I have written. You did NOT re-read these posts. If you did, you would see that "jettapony" apologized to mod_kelly, the editor, NOT to me. "catprotector" and I at NO TIME ever called names, however, if you will AGAIN re-read these posts, you will see there were several names we were called, including "real pieces". Pieces of what I wonder? I'm sure that was something else that was edited out.....
"jettapony" - I agree! Let's let it go and just know that we both have the best in mind for these animals. We just disagree on how that should happen. Whatever happens, I hope more people will watch the show and become educated and understand what these brave people go through to make our world more safe for animals.
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"rdsatkaycee" - LET IT GO. NOW who is badgering and bullying? It doesn't even concern you. All you have posted is about behavior, not anything to do with animals or how to better the situation. Time to but out.
Also - I do not intend to apologize for speaking my mind and I stand by what I have written. You did NOT re-read these posts. If you did, you would see that "jettapony" apologized to mod_kelly, the editor, NOT to me. "catprotector" and I at NO TIME ever called names, however, if you will AGAIN re-read these posts, you will see there were several names we were called, including "real pieces". Pieces of what I wonder? I'm sure that was something else that was edited out.....
"jettapony" - I agree! Let's let it go and just know that we both have the best in mind for these animals. We just disagree on how that should happen. Whatever happens, I hope more people will watch the show and become educated and understand what these brave people go through to make our world more safe for animals.
And you have the nerve to tell me to let it go??? I note you feel like you have to get the last word in. Also, Jettapony appologized to the EMT's. You're right again, I am posting about behavior---inappropriate and rude behavior---yours. I imagine you would like for me to butt out, but as long as I see the bullying from you, I can't. Sorry, some of us feel more protective of people.
If I could hug you I would. I truely felt badly for my first posting and have attempted to appologize for it. Yes, no one forced me to appologize, I did it on my own. You have helped me to see that I wasn't just being overly sensitive to their postings.
rdsatkaycee, I believe from the bottom of my heart you care more about people than animals. Since that is the case, I would appreciate you not posting on this site anymore, seeing as how it is an ANIMAL site. As I have said, you have leant nothing to the conversation where animal protection, care or rescue are concerned. And I think I would speak for many others who just don't care about your "miss manners" attitude. Unless it has to do with animal heroes - don't post! You have now begun to waste our time.
including my own, and I think that for a bit we lost sight of what is most important to all of us - that being the Animals in Every breed! We are all very loyal to the group we support and it shows in our replys to one another. 
