I find that most people just believe what they want to believe. They probably don't believe the crap stuff is that bad. It's just one bag; I would guessthey didn't want to throw the bad stuff outand waste it.The old director of myhospital was very money conscious and would not throwany food out, regardless of quality. Things werevery financially tight andif they had crappy food that had been donated, well, that's what they'd use.I think with this shelter you'll have to pick your battles, but it's possible that is why they mixed it.
At work (I run a wildlife hospital), we get ~40-50 calls every day from people about wildlife. It is astounding the things that people insist on feeding animals. Basically, whatever is easy to get and cheap (hence, why the shelter gave the crappy food)is what people will feed.
It also comes down to the petstores, who SELL the crap in stead of offering good stuff.
If people didn't have to go out of their way to get good food instead of crap (hey, I'm suddenly thinking of McDonalds - see a connection?), they'd get better food for their animals.
We know the importance of Oxbow for bunnies, and Harlan Teklad for rats, and will order ridiculous amounts of it online as needed..but most people do not. And, I will admit, when we are really busy at work, if we run out of the normal good food we use, we *will* use the crap that someone donated. But it is just in a pinch, we always shoot for the good stuff.
We absolutely cannot get people to stop feeding ducks & geese white bread. It is TERRIBLE for them, in many cases causes a condition called
angelwing, but does anybody care? NOOOO. We tell them this, and that they don't have to feed them anything, but if they insist on feeding them, use duck pellets. So they then WRAP the duck pellets in white bread. Hell
oooooo - the white bread is what is bad, no matter what it's wrapped around, it's still bad.
Why do they not listen? Because they think I am just annoying and making a big deal about nothing (I can practically see the eye roll over the phone). It was a rite of passage for them; their parents took them to the park with a bag of white bread, their grandparents took their parents....they're not taking the same opportunity taken from their children (even though it hurts the ducks and geese). It is an everlosing battle.
My suggestion would be, pick your battles and try to keep up on the inventory. They will feed what is available. So make sure the good stuff is available No doubt the crap stuff was donated by an idiot who gave up their bunny to the shelter. It goes hand in hand.
I don't envy you. Shelter work is hard work; physically, and on the soul. A piece of advice: try not to let everything get to you. Somehow, you have to let what you can go. Doesn't mean you minimize animal care - but you can't take care of anything if you don't take care of you. Eventually, all the upset will take its toll on you, and I don't want to see that happen to you.
