Amy treats clients very poorly. She presented as emotionally unstable, needlessly hostile, and wildly paranoid, to the point of being a detriment to the shelter.
I called the shelter about surrendering kittens I found in and around the dumpster at my apartment complex. Upon digging through my Facebook page, Amy learned I run a rescue myself, taking animals from the south, where kill rates are very high, to adopt them out here in MI. She was suspicious that these were AL kittens that I was giving her. This is understandable, and I too would want to know details on a situation like that. No harm, no foul.
I confirmed that I did find the kittens near my home, and would normally adopt them out, but we are currently in the red financially, because I'm badly physically disabled due to chronic illness, don't make much besides some graphic art work, and my husband's truck broke down, keeping him home for a week. We couldn't afford the vetting required to rehome the kittens. Amy asked where I live and, unfortunately for me, I forgot the name of my apartments, because it's a weird, easily forgettable word, plus my husband handles rent. She made a mountain of that molehill and became audibly unstable, ranting that she doesn't know HOW I couldn't know the apartment's name, despite my explanation, and me giving its address. Very rude to do to someone who can barely walk at 28.
She had animal control call me to investigate. They had doubts, knowing only what she told them, but soon the officer understood my situation and told the shelter I'm telling the truth about the kittens' origins. I spoke to Amy once more that day. She told me they close earlier than it said online. We agreed on 7:00am, which she misheard as 11:00am, a time that makes little sense, as she said the earlier I bring them in, the better; 11:00 is only two hours before closing, giving little time for processing. This is an issue later.
When we were to drop off the kittens, we learned the shelter isn't open til 8:00. My husband went then, wondering why she agreed to meet me at 7:00. Luckily Amy wasn't there when he left them at the shelter. I called to check in afterwards. She lost it! Someone peed on the cage and other cats in transit. Anyone who's worked with animals knows that's common, but not Amy; somehow that meant they'd been caged forever, so she relentlessly questioned me on it. It was inconceivable to her that kittens who may not have never seen the inside of a car, never, ever panic and have accidents on the road. Were they caged longer, wouldn't the urine be dry? Then Amy scolded me over timing, or, rather, her misunderstanding. I said he'd show at 7:00. I can only control what I said. Next was a tirade about how my rough guess, which I told her it was, of the kittens' age was wrong, and they weren't the exact same size! Size variation in litters isn't uncommon. It can vary based on many genetic and health factors within litters. They all looked alike but one, so I assumed them siblings, as most would. True to her background in the police force, Amy treated me like a criminal, assuming the worst of everything I said and repeatedly accusing me of lying. My husband called later; only to be grilled on his employer and other personal details that were none of Amy's business, after they had already taken the kittens! Because our cats had been exposed to them, we called the next day to ask their FLV/FIV status, which they agreed to tell us, and Amy made it clear she was unhappy with us even calling! It was clear, all of this was personal.
In summary, Amy was openly accusatory and overtly hostile over every tiny minutiae, when all I was trying to do was get help for homeless kittens I couldn't help, that were from her district, and thus, her responsibility. What a train wreck! I was spoken to horribly and plainly mistreated for my kindness. Just talking to Amy was like running an obstacle course in a minefield! From now on, I'm just calling animal control. I suggest you do the same if you want to help animals without interrogation. Avoid her at all costs.
