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Coworkers call me an animal hoarder

Iguanagirl8662

Iguanagirl8662

Katie
A couple of my coworkers and managers call me a hoarder, at first it didn't bother me but lately they have been saying it more and will say it in front of customers. It's really starting to get to me. My bf tells me not to let it bother me and that they probably only mean it as I have a lot of animals, but to me an animal hoarder is someone that has more animals then they can care for and the animals are normally sick and living in horrible conditions. My animals are well fed, cleaned and healthy and if they get sick they go to the vet asap. It's getting to the point I don't want to go to work because I don't want to deal with these people. I don't like being accussed of not taken care of my animals and by calling me a hoarder that's what they are doing. I love my animals and would never do anything to cause them harm and if I couldn't care for them I would find them a home that could.

Do you consider people with a lot of animals a hoarder? Does anyone else with a lot of animals have to deal with this from others, if so how do you deal with it? I'm getting to the point where I feel like yelling at them but I know that won't do any good. :angry01:
 
If my memory serves, haven't you rescued a few of your animals? That is worthy of praise, not teasing.

I only have six snakes and that is enough to shock non-reptile people. The reactions people have are really unfortunate sometimes. Have you tried talking to your co-workers about this?
 
honestly i wouldn't consider it hording until u cant care for them all properly or until your sacrificing your own well being for the animals but that's just my opinion
 
This is why I don't talk about anything unless someone brings it up.


Talk to your boss or boss of boss. They're acting out of line.
 
oneirogenesis said:
If my memory serves, haven't you rescued a few of your animals? That is worthy of praise, not teasing.

I only have six snakes and that is enough to shock non-reptile people. The reactions people have are really unfortunate sometimes. Have you tried talking to your co-workers about this?
Click to expand...

Yup all my turtles, Igs and some of my snakes and geckos were rescued. People like to ditch things off at my summer job. A lot of them have been very sick and some required surgery but they all got vet care.

I try not to say anything about it and try to ignore their comments but when they call me a hoarder I say yea I have a lot of animals but they are all cared for and a walk away and go back to work.
 
ShenziSixaxis said:
This is why I don't talk about anything unless someone brings it up.


Talk to your boss or boss of boss. They're acting out of line.
Click to expand...

It has gotten to the point where I try to avoid mentioning anything about my animals.

I was thinking of calling our district manager or we have a hotline number to call about problems. What bothers me the most is when they say it in front of a customer. Who is going to want help from me about their animals if they think I don't care for my animals.
 
They are definitely creating a hostile work environment. Either talk with your DM, your manager... or even them and explain that while they may be joking, the customers aren't likely to take it that way, and that as all your animals are well cared for the label isn't accurate anyway.
 
I think the problem is that non-reptile people don't realise how simple it is (once you have the correct setup) to care for Corns and how minimal their needs are in terms of husbandry and human contact.

If you had 25 cats, you might be a hoarder. But 25 Corns will take a fraction of the time to look after properly and don't crave human company or attention in the same way that many cats do.

I have 14 Corns. I can cope with those on a day-to-day basis with no trouble at all. If I had 14 cats, having owned one in the past, I know that a nervous breakdown would be on the cards!

Perhaps you could help by explaining it in those terms?
 
My family likes to tease me about being a "snake hoarder"..... but they know that my snakes get very well-cared for. Yet my husband is always on my case about me having "too many" of them and not having enough time to do stuff with him. So, I am trying to thin the herd some to focus on just my favorite snakes and breeding projects; rather than having lots of morph variety.
 
I would be highly upset about this. This is tantamount to SLANDER in my opinion! Maybe the next time they call you a "hoarder" you should ask if they'd like to see your vet bills. Hoarders usually are spread so thin financially that they haven't got $$$ to see to the proper vet care of their animals, especially the spaying and neutering which ends up making more animals, perpetuating the vicious cycle. Am I right in assuming that you don't work in the animal business? If so, the abuse will probably not stop because they just don't get it, nor are they interested in getting it. I WOULD definitely talk to the manager and explain that you believe that they are behaving in a very unprofessional manner and you expect the hurtful comments to stop. I would also start keeping a log of how many times people are saying these things about you. ( Give yourself 2 legs to stand on if this gets REALLY out of hand!)

I wish you the best of luck in this! I truly hope that this can be "nipped in the bud".

Devon
 
I had a similar experience with my dad yesterday. I stated my little brother was addicted to a video game and maybe some limits should be set so he doesn't go to the bathroom in his pants again because he doesn't wanna leave his XBOX. My dad said, talk about addicted and pointed at my snake/gecko room. I of course have his consent to grow my collection in the parameters of the room and now that I have more racks, baby hatching daily, I'm switching the geckos back over onto peat moss/vermiculite and I'm fattening them up for hibernation in the next few months it looks a little chaotic. When talking about addiction and hoarding a lot of it has to do with the condition of the animals. I said to my dad, if I was addicted to new animals I would have 4 and 5 animals to a small box not a single animal. I would have animals that weren't getting fed on time or getting fed the right food, not me going to the petstore and spending $30 on feeder crickets even though my order is coming later this week. It's all a matter of how well you care for the animals and how you carry yourself with the animals. I clean every single tub on Wednesday, and Saturdays. Hoarding is when you have animals living in filth and you refuse to admit they are not being taken care of. I may have a large number of animals but I am able to take care of them on a financial (I never ask my parents for monetary help with them), emotional and physical level. All these have to be taken into consideration when your collection is in the 20's, 30's, 40's, or 4,000's. You're not a hoarder you're an enthusiast and you have a passion and a deep care for the animals you work with. Don't let co-workers discourage you, Katie. It may sound like I'm talking about myself a lot in the post but it is from my personal experience and I hope it some how aid you. You need to stand up to your co-workers and tell them that you are taking care of your animals. Don't let them walk on you, Katie. Stand up for yourself and tell them that it is insulting to you and ask them if they will stop.
 
Katie, they are creating a hostile work envirnment, and it needs to stop now. Talk to anyone who will listen, and keep records of what is said.

And thank you Animal Planet for fostering fear and ignorance by taking away Meerkat Manor, Escape to Chimp Eden and Orangutan Island and replacing them with Confessions Animal Hoarding and Fatal Attractions.....
 
I would definitely contact your district manager. What is happening is considered harassment and creating a hostile work environment which is against federal law. If your district manager is unwilling to help I would contact the home office and tell them you have been put in a uncomfortable position and you wish for it to stop.
They may ask you to confront your co-workers first(I know my company requires this) and if it continues they then should step in on your behalf. I hope your able to get this cleared up and are able to go to work without the anxiety that you obviously are feeling at the moment. Good luck.
 
starsevol said:
And thank you Animal Planet for fostering fear and ignorance by taking away Meerkat Manor, Escape to Chimp Eden and Orangutan Island and replacing them with Confessions Animal Hoarding and Fatal Attractions.....
Click to expand...

Agreed... I've watched those shows on a few occasions and they seem to have a HSUS or PETA feel in the way that they try and demonize all exotic animal owners, making us all seem like outsiders and obsessed freaks.
Then when people that don't understand the difference between keeping harmless reptiles and keeping lions, they get themselves all worked up making unfair, and in the case of the OP, VERY unprofessional comments.

I agree with what others have said. You need to take steps to get your co-workers to stop. It's not fair that you are being bullied for having a hobby that involves helping living creatures.
 
Yep, don't take the bullying and report it as a hostle work environment..and next time you find yourself in a new job, just don't say how many pets you have.
Sad lesson we all have learned.
 
I would follow the suggestions outlined by others here. But just to point out. Is a breeder who has a 100 snakes a hoarder? No. They are a breeder. Like it has been pointed out, hoarding animals isn't about a specific number. But is about the ability to properly house and care for the animals you have taken the responsibility for.

And yes those are terrible shows. But the theme is consistent. Which is that those people have allowed their lives to be dominated to point that their own personal health as well as that of the animals is at risk.

Neither of which apply, nor should be applied to you.
 
Compulsive hoarding is a mental disorder as I am sure we are all aware. I just watched an episode of "Hoaders" on A&E last night and honestly I did wonder *how* many people within the reptile community are hoarders...(not at ALL saying you are :D). I am only saying that because there are so many forums/posts/threads about getting a new snake, then the next, then another ... it's like they get a little hit (or high) every time they bring in a new animal. As long as the animals (and YOU!!) are healthy (including vet attention), well-fed, and happy then there is probably not a problem. As long as you are not sacrificing too much of your life for one hobby (which can be a different amount for everyone) then it's probably okay.

Aside from Hoaders, I watch the Suze Orman show (about financial advice). I hate hearing people struggling financially, thus it is always more important to save money (8 month emergency plan at least) than to buy more snakes, pets, things, etc. :)
 
bitsy said:
I think the problem is that non-reptile people don't realise how simple it is (once you have the correct setup) to care for Corns and how minimal their needs are in terms of husbandry and human contact.

If you had 25 cats, you might be a hoarder. But 25 Corns will take a fraction of the time to look after properly and don't crave human company or attention in the same way that many cats do.

I have 14 Corns. I can cope with those on a day-to-day basis with no trouble at all. If I had 14 cats, having owned one in the past, I know that a nervous breakdown would be on the cards!

Perhaps you could help by explaining it in those terms?
Click to expand...

I totally agree...
 
I would first pull aside your manager and tell him that you are insulted that he would continue to call you a hoarder and especially in front of customers!! If he doesn't stop then go above his head. What he is doing is harassment and by law needs to stop. What you do at home is none of his business and especially for him to advertise it to customers out loud as he has done by calling you an animal hoarder in front of them. Sounds to me like he is very unprofessional and shouldn't be a manager to begin with.

I know when I was a manager for Brookshires when I worked in Texas we would tease each other but I knew that if some one offended me or if I offended them I would approach them or they me and tell that person that what they said offended me and please not to say it again or them say it to me and that would be it. So if you have not told them to stop you cannot expect them to stop. So I say first tell them it offends you and you are tired of hearing it, if they don't stop then go above his/her head.
 
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