Asshat Rant - 3 years in boarding?

I stumbled on this little ditty while I was wandering through CL. Sometimes I wonder why people post these sorts of things? This person is posting asking for people to help this dog who has been in boarding for 3 years ... it originally started out as a legit topic, something we should be concerned about and possibly fix ... and then the poster "opened her mouth" so to speak.

I just have to shake my head and wonder if this woman really thinks she is helping? (I don't know why I think it's a woman ... just seems like it from the writing style)

Here are snippets of the posting with the OP comments inserted in red. Please note that nearly the entire posting is written in CAPS ... you know how I feel about that!

- "PLEASE MEET 3 1/2 YR.OLD HAZEL" ... the dog is approximately 3-4 y/o.

- "HER PREVIOUS OWNERS WERE DRUGGIES" ... Contary to popular belief, this may not have been that bad from a dog's point of view. Just because they are druggies doesn't mean they are bad trainers. Hard to say. Can't make a judgement based on this ... that's like saying that a few dogs I've fostered lived with an alcoholic *gasp* I've met people on both sides of that fence. What the owners drink, smoke or inject doesn't really affect whether or not they are good dog owners/trainers. It's their actions that matter. It's when they cross the line.

- "WHEN THE COPS CAME THEY WERE GOING TO SHOOT HAZEL WHEN THEY SAW SHE WAS A PIT. NEIGHBORS INTERVENED AND BEGGED FOR THIS SWEET DOG" ... so the dog was removed from the situation and put into a kennel facility. Did the dog have to wait until criminal proceedings were complete before being allowed to be adopted out? Do we really know if she was or was not part of the investigation?? Who paid her bills for 3 years? What do the neighbours have to do with anything??

- "THE WOMAN BOARDING HER HAS SO MANY ANIMALS SHE WAS NOT ABLE T0 REALLY GET HAZEL'S STORY OUT" ... What does this mean? So she hasn't really spent any time with the dog? I would assume by this comment that this person must have too many animals to care for ... Is she feeding and watering them properly?

- "THIS IS AN OUTRAGE!!!" and "I JUST FOUND OUT ABOUT THIS AND I AM LIVID" ... ok, so you need to take a few hours and calm down before posting anything like this. Deep breaths. In, Out ... In, Out. Maybe go to a yoga class or something. We are quite aware you are PO'ed ... you don't have to tell us.

- "WE CANNOT LET THESE KIDS FALL THROUGH THE CRACKS LIKE THIS" ... ok, so this comment right here totally lost me and my interest - too bad for the dog. This is not a kid who has been living in a cage for 3 years ... at least now I know why you're so angry about this. Hazel is a dog. Are you not aware that thousands of dogs live their lives in cages making puppies to supply the pet industry? Most of them haven't had much contact with people. You would be better off picking a good cause and putting your energies into something that you can change. Hey, here's an idea ... Why don't you adopt her?

Here's the thing. Sometimes we get so wrapped up emotionally in something that we don't realize that we have just negated the importance of it. It may seem terrible, but you must remain objective! It may seem like you are impartial or cold, but if you really want to get your point across to people who aren't like minded to you, you must be this way for them to listen. Otherwise they just write you off as "just another fanatic".

When you are looking for that "something" to fix your corner of the world ... please make sure you remember to use common sense. If you go off on a tangent like the above wing-nut, you will not help anything. You may make things worse. You actually teach the people around you - the ones who can help you change the world - that you are someone they should simply ignore. Just another crazy, fanatical animal activist.

Don't be that crazy-person. Be the one who matters. The one who makes a difference.