This year there has been a preponderance of Christmas adverts asking us adopt a Snow Leopard or a Polar Bear.
The WWF recently ran an advert on UK TV saying 'adopt one of OUR animals for £3 a month'. Who's animals? They don't belong to the WWF. And who gave them permission to offer them for adoption?
This is no more than ' charitable respectability' running a huge multi-national scam.
If I do decide to 'adopt' a wild animal, I want it to be delivered HERE, and I would require the WWF to hand over part of their fund-raising dosh to pay for it's upkeep. That's how adoption works Matey.
Imagine adopting a human baby, and having someone else look after it (or not), and having to pay-up, and being given a Cabbage Patch toy to play with instead. No, no, no.
The only animals that will benefit from these so-called 'adoptions' are of the human kind!
I have no problem with the WWF; I'm sure they do very good work. But offering wild animals for adoption, or paying to name a Whale, or buying some ridiculously distant star, is simply conning the gullible.
Far better to just hand over a few quid/bucks now and again; and forget all this 'adoption' malarkey. It's just a way of getting hold of your bank details, then bombarding you with begging letters until you end up screaming.
19 comments:
Do you think it would be possible for me to have a few meerkats please?!
I agree, sometimes the adoption fee doesn't cover the cost of the goodies and the P&P. I give to charity because I want to give, not to buy a load of tat. Saying that, I did adopt a horse once for a year, after that I just donated. At least I could go and visit my horse, I doubt very much that they could find my polar bear.
I donate to 'look after' a few square metres of a local wildlife sancuary. I must say it makes me feel I somehow belong there, and I know there is a cost in trapping the mustelids and rats, even if it's only the eggs and salted rabbit bait. But what I give is nothing compared with the donated time of the volunteers to clear the tracks, raise the kiwi chicks and check and re-bait the traps every week...
As you say, a scam, pure, simple and of international proportions. The next move for huge charities such as this is into tele-evangelism, with some chap in a white Jermyn Street suit ad Gucci loafers shouting "are you with me?" while a "dial this number and have your card ready" message flashes across screen.
actually, I don't object. It's a way of raising necessary funds for a laudable cause. my aged mother pays £5 a month for a snow leopard. she can well afford it but would never have responded to ordinary advertising. I set up the direct debit as her financial elf, and refused the cuddly toy which she doesn't need. She gets a newsletter a couple of times a year and has had one begging letter at Christmas. Much better than many charities. And I'm glad someone's taking an interest in threatened species.
Happy New Year Cro !
What I strongly object to with most charities. Is the high wages the ones at the top pay themselves, parasites is a word that flows into my mind.
This made me laugh even though I bought my horse-loving niece an adoption package for a Dartmoor pony for christmas. I see it as just a way of raising money for the charity - like sponsoring a third-world child. The real scam is the Naming a Star companies. 'Send us money so we can post you a pic of the sky with an arrow pointing towards a dot which is named after you'. Like buying air.
Have a great 2013.
I give to charities that I believe in and am happy that I can do so. What I hate is that my name is sold or given to other organizations and I am flooded with many requests for donations.
I want to adopt a wild Cro.
I guess people like a photo of their adopted giraffe on their refrigerator along side their "Foster" child. In Canada you can "adopt" a highway and even have a little plaque with your name on it by the gravel shoulder.
I believe you are turning intoEster Ranzen
Mind you, you really should only work on the radio version of that's life.
You only have a face for radio x
Would you care to adopt a Starling, John? It costs £5 a week, and it'll write regular letters.
i just want a dog or a cat to call my own...without now for a couple of years!!
It seems as though major charities, any kind, become so bloated with salaries and advertising, they lose sight of their original intent. They create a monster that must be fed continuously and whose appetite increases. I'd rather keep my dollars at home where I can see and hear about the benefits. Mine is "Bale of Hay" for horses that have been abandoned in this county. And, Hospice for humans. ;-)
Just a different way of marketing for a decent organization. Much better than actually owning your own exotic animal....which from experience on the regulatory side I can tell you is not all it is cracked up to be.....
Certainly food for thought there and something I hadn't really considered. Great post :)
The salaries for RSPCA are shown below. They come to £46,554,000 – plus £997,000 for temporary and agency staff.
Higher paid staff are as follows:
£60,000 - £69,000 - 9 people
£70,000 - £79,000 - 4 people
£80,000 - £89,000 - 2 people
£90,000 - £99,000 - 1 person
£100,000 - £109,000 - 1 person
Hmm. If each of the above is paid in the mid range this comes to a total of £1,255,000 per annum for only 17 staff.
Yeah, cash cow for a few.
I would love to adopt a wild animal!
I have adopted an Asian Elephant for the last ten years, bit embarrassed to tell you that annual expense. But glad it is not in my back garden.
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