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Cat Forum / Cat Anecdotes / August 2005Would appreciate feedback
This is NOT intended as spam and I am truly looking for suggestions. Kiki, my cat of 19 years died some time ago and I swore I wouldn't get another... just too painful to lose them. That lasted two weeks and I got Scooter and then a companion for her... Bandit. I'm in my late 50's and retired. I worried something could happen to me where I would be incapacitated and unable to communicate with someone (I'm at an age people have strokes) and my cats would die from lack of food or water. I went onto the net to try and find a service that would help but there wasn't any... so, I created one. Caroline and I got very involved with this project and we decided to put all the profit into animal welfare. Our site just went online (finally) this last week... so, naturally I am trying to draw traffic to the site. We have applied for 201(3)c (non profit) status. It's taken a lot of hard work to put this together and what I need from pet owners is feedback on the idea. We also had the idea of a service where people would check in every few days and if they failed to check in we'd initiate a rescue (see the site to understand this). This is the service I originally went looking for but couldn't find. We started out with this idea but withdrew it because my thoughts are that people would not take the time to check in regularly... it would sound good to them, they'd sign up... and then not use the service and my attitude is I don't want anyone paying for something they don't use. Some people thought it was a great idea for folks over 60 but I'm thinking most folks over 60 don't have access to a computer... I'm mostly talking about people who live alone and don't have much contact... or even older couples. Actually, anyone could get in an accident and leave pets unattended. I seriously worried about my cats because, quite frankly, if something happened to me and Caroline I'm not sure anyone would know it for a week or two and that could be too late for Scooter and Bandit. We came up with an idea we think is affordable and useful and can contribute to funding the front line workers who try to save animals. Caroline and I would deeply appreciate any constructive ideas or comments you might have about the service. Please visit us and take a look... http://www.petownersfriend.org/ ... and to visit the website (entirely non commercial) I created in memory of Kiki the cat, for whom I have really dedicated this service... visit... http://www.thetuxedocat.com/ Thanks from both of us... Caroline and Stan Please feel free to drop us a line or post here... stanandcaroline@petownersfriend.org > This is NOT intended as spam and I am truly looking for suggestions. > [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > from lack of food or water. I went onto the net to try and find a > service that would help but there wasn't any... so, I created one. You asked for feedback, you got it. I don't know about you, but the folks on this newsgroup are all pretty familiar with each other. We let each other know about planned trips. Some of us have set up "contacts" whereby if we don't post here for a specified length of time they know how to make sure our pets (or we) are not dead. They have our phone numbers; they have the phone numbers of people who can get to us and our homes if need be. We also have a number of people here who particpate in cat rescue organizations, shelters, fostering, etc. And guess what? It doesn't cost us a thing!! Sorry to hear about Kiki, but you aren't going to get money from me no matter how heart-rending the tale may be. I must say this is one of the most literate attempts at spamming I've ever run across! And now on to our regularly scheduled programming: Fat Hamburgers 1 lb. ground chuck 4 oz. sliced button mushrooms 8 oz. sliced water chestnuts, drained 3 Tbs. teriyaki sauce 2 Tbs. cornstarch (as a binder) 1 Tbs. dry sherry (not essential Catnipped! try a splash of Worcestershire) 1 tsp. sugar (I omit this) 1 tsp. salt (I omit this) 1 tsp. ground dried ginger 1 egg, beaten Using a food processor or blender, puree together all ingredients *except* the beef and egg. Then combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. NOTE: I find it's more desireable and less messy to place the ingredients in a large plastic freezer bag and squoosh it all together until well mixed. Yes, that's a technical cooking term! LOL - works well for meatloaf, too. Form the mixture into patties about 1 inch thick. Place on a broiler rack or grill; cook about 6 inches from the heat and to desired doneness. The burgers *will* be moist and tends to fall apart so you might want to use foil grill sheets if you're doing this on a grate over lump or charcoal. Serve on toasted buns with desired toppings. These are very filling! Apparently Persia likes them ;) She's normally so well behaved, but that one time she simply *had* to snag one of these off the bun when I turned my back for a mere 20 seconds. Jill > You asked for feedback, you got it. I don't know about you, but the folks > on this newsgroup are all pretty familiar with each other. We let each > other know about planned trips. Some of us have set up "contacts" whereby if we don't > post here for a specified length of time they know how to make sure our > pets (or we) are not dead. They have our phone numbers; they have the phone > numbers of people who can get to us and our homes if need be. We also have > a number of people here who particpate in cat rescue organizations, > shelters, > fostering, etc. And guess what? It doesn't cost us a thing!! Jill Well, this is an excellent idea and I'm very glad to hear you have that kind of network. A lot of people don't... in fact... most people don't. As for myself, I would never rely on someone rummaging through posts to make sure I'd made a recent appearance to save my pets if they didn't find one. > I must say this is one of the > most literate attempts at spamming I've ever run across! And I'm not sure there is anyplace left on earth to announce a service and get good feedback from people like yourself without making an appeal in places like this. I didn't offer up a straight plea to visit the site and spend money... I didn't offer fake testimonials to encourage visits... I simply asked for ways to improve this idea from the people who would know... people like yourself. It's been encouraging because many people have visited the site and sent emails from our contact page to offer constructive ideas. We received 3,512 hits in just two hours after posting here and the support and suggestions have been wonderful. In the end, for Caroline and myself... it is about building funding for animal welfare and offering a substantial service in return. We are retired with independent incomes and have no interest in personal financial gains from Pet Owner's Friend. For those of us who are not so well connected with as good a network as you enjoy it could be nice to know that no matter where we were in the world, 24 hours a day, help could be immediately dispatched to our pets if something happened to us. I don't understand some of this world... no matter where you go these days you can't say this and you can't say that... without being accused of spamming or political incorrectness. If I relied on advertising to get the word out it would be expensive and time consuming and I'd risk not getting the word to the people who matter, like visitors to these groups. I'd be better off just donating my money straight up to animal welfare and do nothing to help beyond that. Perhaps you could be less insulting and more involved with helping animals as they become more and more neglected... and consider, there are many people who work long hard hours to shelter animals and find new homes for them. These people give all their time and resources for a 7 day job that is often frustrating and thankless and they constantly need money, animal food, litter, and anything they can get to save these lives. Thanks Jill for your comments... I would hope everyone here has friends they can rely on to save their pets in an emergency. You offer up a good suggestion and I think I'll try to put something on the site that is available to everyone for networking. > And I'm not sure there is anyplace left on earth to announce a > service and > get good feedback from people like yourself without making an appeal > in > places like this. I didn't offer up a straight plea to visit the > site and spend money... That's totally irrelevant. You posted a link which asks for money; asks for people to pay for "protection" for their pets, but I have yet to figure out how these people you claim work for the organization would know that our pets need care or that anything had happened to incapacitate one of us. Unless the $19.95 includes someone sitting in my house with me 24/7. > It's been encouraging because many people have visited the site and > sent emails from our contact page to offer constructive ideas. We > received 3,512 hits in just two hours after posting here Yep, it's a natural inclination (human curiosity) to try to figure out what you are posting (or in this case, selling). > In the end, for Caroline and myself... it is about building funding > for [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > the world, 24 hours a day, help could be immediately dispatched to > our pets if something happened to us. Yeah, preaching to the choir, Stan. You want us to PAY to have someone dispatched in the event of an emergency... but how on earth would your "network" know if there was an emergency in my household and know to come take care of my pets? I quote from your web site: "The idea is simple. For less than 6 cents a day you have confidence in your pet's safety if anything happens to you." But how the hell do you know if something has happened to me?! > I don't understand some of this world... no matter where you go these > days > you can't say this and you can't say that... without being accused of > spamming or political incorrectness. Trust me, I don't care for that, either. But we have only your word for it how the funds will be spent, don't we? > Perhaps you could be less insulting and more involved with helping > animals as they become more and more neglected... and consider, there > are many people > who work long hard hours to shelter animals and find new homes for > them. Who are you to say how involved I am (or not)? > These people give all their time and resources for a 7 day job that > is often frustrating and thankless and they constantly need money, > animal food, > litter, and anything they can get to save these lives. Uh huh. We know all about that, thanks. We have many participants who do foster-care for cats, abandoned kittens; people who socialize ferals; people who work in shelters; people who donate time, food and money. Who are you to come in here and accuse me of being "insulting" when you tell your story about Kiki (and yes, I'm sorry for your loss of Kiki) and then provide a link to a web site asking for money? We have ONLY your word for where the funds are going. Your own site states "More than 25% of your enrollment is donated to support animal welfare organizations!" Technically, this means it could be 26% which ain't a hell of a lot; where's the profit going if this is non-profit? You don't impress me nor change my opinion of this SPAM. I must reassert, however, you are creative. Jill (might post a recipe for SPAM fried rice next time) > > And I'm not sure there is anyplace left on earth to announce a > > service and [quoted text clipped - 72 lines] > > Jill (might post a recipe for SPAM fried rice next time) Well, I haven't gone to the site yet, but it is cat related, and an honest concern. I guess, I can certainly forgive it anyway as it is something I worry about too. I'll have to look at the service. I don't know that I would do it now since folks at work would know soemthing was up in a day or two, but if I was retired or older?? I would definitely consider it. > That's totally irrelevant. You posted a link which asks for money; asks for > people to pay for "protection" for their pets, I beg your pardon... I did not ask anyone to visit the website and spend money. If I had done that it would have said to visit us... for only $19.95 you can... bla bla bla. I asked for constructive feedback. >but I have yet to figure out > how these people you claim work for the organization would know that our > pets need care or that anything had happened to incapacitate one of us. > Unless the $19.95 includes someone sitting in my house with me 24/7. The reason you can't figure it out is simply because you'd rather make pointed remarks about someone sitting with you 24/7 rather than actually visiting the site to educate yourself about how the service works. To answer the question for you, and anyone else like you... who would like to make commentary on something they know nothing about... I have posted an explanation of our service as a separate post. > > That's totally irrelevant. You posted a link which asks for money; asks for > > people to pay for "protection" for their pets, [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > make commentary on something they know nothing about... I have posted an > explanation of our service as a separate post. Stan, I think its a great service you're offering, there are many people who would have need for it. You can just ignore Jill, the bottom line is she didn't think of it so it can't be good. > Uh huh. We know all about that, thanks. We have many participants who do > foster-care for cats, abandoned kittens; people who socialize ferals; people [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > it could be 26% which ain't a hell of a lot; where's the profit going if > this is non-profit? Yes, Jill... I am terribly sorry that in a world like we live in today... indeed, at the moment you only have my word and it is very unfortunate that you... and I... and most of us... are wary of all the fraud to the point we now believe nobody and assume everyone is corrupt until proven otherwise. Sorry for the typo as well (thanks for pointing it out)... it now correctly states more than 50%. So, now... technically... that'd be 51% in your eyes. However, a great deal of effort and cost has gone into this solely as a project to raise funds for animal welfare and we really hope to give away almost 90% of the income As soon as I can I will start posting the beneficiaries on the site so you will have free access to them (assuming they agree) to not only verify the funding but perhaps donate to them as well. I might add... there are many link sharing reseller programs with pet suppliers to provide funding for animal welfare groups. They are purely commercial operations selling to earn profit and they pay... typically $1 (that's right... one dollar) and some of them up to 25% with just a couple who will pay 40 to 50%. You say that's not much... tell that to the people who need and appreciate every dollar they can get. Tell that to Best Friends who raises millions of dollars every year (their statement is online) from $25 donations. We even offer our vendors an auditor to check their click throughs and sales and request an emergency check early if they need it. I don't know anyone who does that except for us. Where is the profit going?... you ask. First... we have NO profit. The income we receive creates the site and all the complex back end programming that supports vendors and memberships. It pays for the server and the maintenance of the database so it is always backed up, operational, and safe. When someone enrolls who came from one of our vendor sites... typically all animal welfare organizations... 50% immediately goes to them... right off the top. After that... anything that is left over goes straight to animal welfare funding. Thanks for your concern Jill Stan www.petownersfriend.org jmcquown @ jmcquown@bellsouth.net >> And I'm not sure there is anyplace left on earth to announce a >> service and [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > happened to incapacitate one of us. Unless the $19.95 includes > someone sitting in my house with me 24/7. If you live in the USA, a check-on-you service is available free. Simply let your postmaster know that you aren't in good health. The PM will see to it that your letter-carrier keeps an eye on the status of your mailbox. For example, if mine goes unemptied for more than 7 days, the Post Office will notify the Police Department. The PD will then attempt to contact me by telephone; if they can't, then they will open my door (key from the owners of the apt bldg) and find out if I'm okay. > jmcquown @ jmcquown@bellsouth.net > [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > contact me by telephone; if they can't, then they will open my door (key > from the owners of the apt bldg) and find out if I'm okay. Please be very careful with this thinking... we did not go into this lightly and we did considerable research. While I think your ambition is terrific let me illustrate some of the realities. First of all... all our pet owner's data, their pets, and their contacts are in a monitored database that is online 24/7 from anywhere in the world. How will you store everyone's data?... on a rolodex?... in a database?... and will it always be with you? If one of your members is traveling in Europe or Mexico... will authorities there be willing to make a long distance phone call to you at their expense?... and considering the time differences will you be willing to answer that phone call... will you always be available? Are you going to respond to a phone call at 3 AM on a Sunday morning to look through your rolodex and start calling someone's contacts. Are you willing to publish your home phone number on laminated cards people will carry around with them? These are the points of our service... it follows you wherever you go and anyone with a computer can initiate a rescue at no cost to them and virtually no inconvenience. Maybe we have a better thought... suppose we put together a package you can hand out to people who adopt animals that gives them our service for free for say... 90 days. That's a full quarter year (3 months). You offer an incentive to observe pet safety and a valuable extra when they adopt. We'll worry about signing them up for payment after their trial period. Again... this is not about us making money... it's about building funds for animal welfare. I learned a long time ago in business... no matter how well intentioned I was it was often better to let people who are prepared to handle special tasks manage them... particularly if they are fully geared up to do it. Also... consider the legal issues. If you go ahead with this you need to understand the nature of people. They can be friendly in one minute but if their pets die because you lost your rolodex or were not home to receive a call... you better have an iron clad agreement that relieves you of responsibility. It's just the way it is. As a side note... we will be offering very nice "print them yourself" customized window placards. It's been on the drawing board for a couple of months now. >> jmcquown @ jmcquown@bellsouth.net >> [quoted text clipped - 29 lines] > contacts are in a monitored database that is online 24/7 from > anywhere in the world. You are still skipping around the major contention, Stan. You tend to think emergencies will only occur if someone is away from home and the pets need "rescuing". When I'm away from home, unless it's a quick trip to the store, they are boarded at the vet. And the vet knows how to contact me, 24/7. If they can't contact me, they can and will contact a family member or friend. That's why there are "emergency contacts" listed. And, as Sherry mentioned, I keep information in my wallet about having pets... so if I get in an accident or something the authorities know to go to my home and who to call about my cat and my parrot. > How will you store everyone's data?... on a rolodex?... in a > database?... and will it always be with you? Oh puleeeze. Just takes a card in the wallet "NOTIFY so-and-so to take care of my pets". For this, we don't need a database. > If one of your members is traveling in Europe or Mexico... will > authorities there be willing to make a long distance phone call to > you at their expense?... and considering the time differences will > you be willing to answer that phone call... will you always be > available? This is an International newsgroup; we can and do contact each other at all hours of the day and night if deemed necessary. > Are you going to respond to a phone call at 3 AM on a Sunday morning > to look through your rolodex and start calling someone's contacts. I answer the phone most any time if I'm home. Don't you? > Are you willing to publish your home phone number on laminated cards > people will carry around with them? The card only needs to be in *my* possession. If I'm found dead by the side of the road, won't matter much who has my phone number since I'm not going to be there to answer the phone ;) And if I'm dead or otherwise incapacitated in my house for any period of time, my neighbor or landlord or brother or the police will check in on me. So in the end, you're still offering nothing. > As a side note... we will be offering very nice "print them yourself" > customized window placards. It's been on the drawing board for a > couple of months now. Too bad you're about 3 years too late on that window placard idea. LOL Jill > >> jmcquown @ jmcquown@bellsouth.net > >> [quoted text clipped - 78 lines] > > Jill Jill, it's just an optional service. No need to crucify the guy. >>>> jmcquown @ jmcquown@bellsouth.net >>>> [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] >> > Jill, it's just an optional service. No need to crucify the guy. Sorry, but I see it as spamming. He posts one item about a cat he adored and who hasn't had a beloved pet die? But then he posts a link to send them money for this "service". Sophisticated spam, but spam nontheless. Jill > >>>> jmcquown @ jmcquown@bellsouth.net > >>>> [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > > Jill So ignore it. |
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