Tuesday, October 1, 2013
Still No Apology
Dear friends, family, and followers,
It has been three full days plus since we tried to adopt Tex and we have not heard anything from the Board of Pet Rescue Alliance. At this point I think that they think that we are just going to go away and all will be fine. I am here to tell you we are NOT stopping until our goals are met.
Our goals are the following: 1) A formal apology and acknowledgment that the adoption process was not handled properly 2) Written confirmation that policies are in place to prevent this from happening to other families; and that volunteers will be assigned adoption cases based on their education and life experience (i.e. generally speaking, a person with no children, formal education in special education/counseling, or life experience with special needs children SHOULD NOT be in charge of the adoption process for families with children (special needs or otherwise). 3) To enlighten other rescue organizations so that they can ensure this type of discrimination is NOT happening in their organization. 4) Remind other parents that they need to thoroughly investigate the rescue shelter and ensure that the organization has the appropriate staff and policies to effectively assess whether or not they have a dog appropriate for your family.
We are asking that everyone continues to post our blog to all social media and to get the word out. Another way you can help us is to call your local rescue groups, let them know our story, and find out what their policies are with children, especially those with special needs. Again we thank everyone with your continued support.
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6 comments:
As a parent of two special needs children this blog has touched me in so many ways it’s hard to express. My first emotion was sadness, then heartbreak for the children involved which is now turning to anger as I see one side of a story that has been twisted using special needs children as an excuse to slander an organization that helps save animals that are hours from being euthanized.
As I said, I have two children with special needs and my first introduction to Pet Rescue Alliance was last year when my 10 year old son wanted to rescue a dog. We were turned down by several other rescues for various reasons. Even though I am a stay at home mom and have a large fenced in back yard. I was told Beagles don’t like to play fetch and that my current Lasapoo may not be a good companion to dogs I had chosen. So its safe to say, I know how hard it is to explain and tell a child with Aspergers that we are not coming home with a puppy today sweetheart. In hind sight, I am able to accept that some of the dogs we wanted just weren't the right dog for our family.
We continued our search on Petfinder and we found the "perfect" dog for our family. We went to the Pet Rescue Alliance website and filled out the application and crossed our fingers. In a matter of days we received a call from Uma and were scheduled for a home visit. She came to my home, met my son and my ADHD daughter, spent time to explore where the pup would be crated and sleeping at night and went over any potential safety hazards that may be an issue for a curious puppy. My sons excitement was beyond anything I had ever seen and when both my children started to get boisterous and unruly, I immediately told them if they continued in this manner we may not get the dog! From Day One she interacted with my entire family and did her best to match our personality with the right dog for us.
There are 2 sides to every story and unfortunately you are only hearing one side. Furthermore, it is really despicable that children and discrimination are being used as scape goats for explaining why the adoption fell through, when that is the farthest thing from the truth. Uma witnessed something at the Pet store which only the Kadlecs, Uma, and the store employees are aware of which made her decide to not go through with the adoption. That's all there is to it!
Last year when the sixth graders at Silverbrook Elementary were given community service hours as part of their yearly curriculum the first thing my daughter asked was, can we call Ms. Uma mom? I really want to work with the rescue animals. Ms. Uma welcomed her with open arms and she has been a weekly volunteer at adoption events ever since. This has been an incredible learning experience for her. During the past year, I have adopted 2 beautiful dogs through Pet Rescue Alliance and these dogs have brought immeasurable happiness to my children and my family as a whole. They have been a source of therapy for my son with Asperger’s and calming for my daughter with ADHD.
So to say that Pet Rescue Alliance is biased against kids with special needs is clearly a misstatement and just not true. It is unfortunate that the Kadlecs felt they had a bad experience. Don’t let that taint your opinion of an organization that does so much good for so many. Both humans and animals alike.
I hope you will all take the time to look into your hearts and realize that continuing this negativity only perpetuates bad feelings and whether we acknowledge it or not it does affect our children and isn’t that what this is really about in the first place???? Doing the right thing for the children and setting a positive example, showing a beacon of light moving forward in a positive direction opposed to dwelling in the vitriol and anger of the past. Just because we think we deserve something in life doesn’t always mean we get it and Pet Rescue Alliance is the only voice these animals have left. I hope you will consider that before you forward your next blog.
Here are some pictures of my son with our PRA dogs:
https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0Bxgmp1QOHW7jeWIyZ0dveTFNNkk&usp=sharing
Alisa,
Shame on you.
Clearly you don't get it. Uma didn't like, excuse me-"feel comfortable" with Sonora from the beginning of the process. The way that Uma handled herself and the situation is disgusting. From the Kadlec's points of view, discrimination was the only thing that was apparent because nothing else was ever communicated to them other than reservations concerning Sonora. The point of the complaint isn't that Uma wouldn't give them that specific dog (there are other dogs). But, let me point out that Tex's description clearly states that he is good with kids. http://www.petrescuealliance.com/tex/ And his high energy is what Elisabeth was looking for as a running buddy. But that's not the frustration here, keep up...
You point out that you were told reasons why the beagle wasn't a good fit for your family, the Kadlec family was NOT given reasons beyond Sonora. Again...this is why they feel that Uma judged their precious daughter.
Uma made multiple negative comments about Sonora, the child that has Aspergers, not the other children of the family and her final decision was based on Sonora's behavior at the shop.
You made a comment that you yelled at your kids that if they continued their unruly behavior that they might not get the dog...this comment leads me to wonder if Uma JUDGED that the children (or Sonora) behaved UNRULY or that since Elisabeth didn't yell at Sonora at the home visit or at the shop (which Sonora doesn't response to yelling) that Uma JUDGED her parenting too. You're not looking good here...still with me?
Just because Uma is friends with one special needs child, doesn't mean she likes them all...or that she understands them. And just because you have a child with Aspergers doesn't mean that you understand every child with Aspergers...Sonora also was born with Spina Bifida and all of the complications that come with that package as well. With that being said, just because you yell at your special needs child, doesn't mean that Elisabeth should yell at hers to be able to care for or be accepted to adopt a dog.
The Kadlec family was willing to take on an energetic puppy that needed a home vs being euthanized and if you care so much about the correct dogs being matched with the correct home then instead of making little kids and even the adults cry at pick-up time, handling the adoption properly in the first place would probably be the better way to go.
It would be wise get a clue before you talk shit about one of our substantially educated Military families and to have the guts to say that they are "using" their daughter's special needs. You've DISGUSTED me even more than the situation itself. AGAIN with judgements and coming from an individual of the same organization, man...y'all are on a roll of making yourselves look like asses.
Bottom line, regardless if your kids like her, Uma effed up in this adoption, plain and simple. What she did is NOT how people should be treated...different choices could have been made in the situation and when she sent the family of 5 out the door in tears, an apology with an explanation versus a butt load of EXCUSES would show sincerity that is lacking in this experience.
I would suggest that anyone from your organization should consider what you have to say before you make any more poor and inaccurate judgements about the family and to stop digging yourselves in a deeper hole. Let's see an apology. No more nasty judgements.
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