No Longer Associated

I have cut ties with a rescue group I helped for over a decade, trapping for them over and over, doing all sorts of favors.

I always thought they'd include me in their nonprofit. I finally realized that wasn't going to happen. Then I asked for exchange of services, this for that, if I help them trap and do other shit, they help me adopt out cats. But, over years, that has never happened. I pinned them down in February about that, and they promised again, but the months ticked by without any help.

Finally they said I could join them in the big Petfinder adoption event. I imagined us all together at the Corvallis Petco. It isn't exactly an exchange of services. They don't sit out in a car all night if they ask me to trap a colony. I had hoped they'd save one of their adoption venue cages for cats I am trying to adopt out. But I didn't even dare ask for that much. Allowing me to sit at a Petco to adopt out my own cats was the most I could hope for, since I don't have nonprofit status and Petco requires it to adopt out there.

They said they'd call, to discuss the details of the Petfinder event. I never got a call. I did get a message Saturday from one of them who wanted me to go on some cat rescue with her. I was gone.

I sent her an e-mail asking why she had not called, and was told she was too busy to call me. Like I'm the last person on earth she'd take a minute to call to work out details about the adoption thing. That can put you in your place.

She finally told me if I wanted to do it, I'd be at the Albany Petco sharing a table with their volunteer who adopts out dogs. That hurt. Like they didn't want me anywhere near them, but rather in Albany with some stranger and her dogs.

She already knew I couldn't do that, having cats that would be scared stiff with a bunch of dogs. We had discussed how that wouldn't work out before. It was a Fuck You she was giving me and I knew it. So I told them this was the end of any relationship.

It's long past due.

We exchanged some nasty e-mails. To be expected.

They were never going to help adopt out the cats here. For whatever reason.

I know what they think of me, so it doesn't really hurt that much. I was just a body to them, for labor.

It's like rejection in a way, but not really. I suppose it is rejection, to not include me in any plans then tell me if I wanted to be included in the adoption event, it would not be with them, but sitting at a table in Albany Petco with someone I don't even know, AND HER DOGS, like no way would they want me to be with them.

It's not like we were ever friends. I guess I'd always hoped we'd be friends, but it was apparent that was not to be long ago. After that, I had hoped for the I help you, you help me thing. Never happened and never would have either.

Parting ways is a really good thing.