Just getting to some of these posts and Tracey I'm so sorry to hear about your work woes. You don't strike me as the kind of person to take this laying down. Good for you. It sounds like you're on the right track with not making this easy for your employer.
Most good changes come with a bit of sacrifice, especially when our morals are laid on the table. You stood up for what was right and I don't think there's any better judge of character than that.
This will probably get long winded but let me share a bit of an experience we went through.
It was a while ago now and we had one shepherd at the time. It was early summer, fairly warm and we'd been out cruising the back roads with a few friends. The pup had been swimming and out for short stops exploring and enjoying the ride in the canopy of our truck.
On our way back we stopped for a bite at a pub we frequented. Before we headed in we flipped open the canopy door, took the lid off the ice chest full of ice cold water and turned on the little portable fan (Bob's got a car battery in a milk crate hooked up with with some fancy connectors).
Someone must have been watching the action at the back of truck before we headed in because just as our meal arrived so did an animal control officer.
She was great. As I was walking out with her she said she had walked by the truck and saw that he wasn't in any distress. As I opened the tailgate she got a gust of the low blowing air and saw the chest of ice cold water. Made some observations about the dog being wet and commented on him probably being a good beer protector.
None the less, she went thru her spiel about leaving dogs in vehicles and went on to say that although we had taken some good precautions, many don't and they investigate all cases that are reported.
She suggested that because of the public concern it would probably be best if we take him home and come back if we were planning on staying for any length of time. We weren't, it was just a quick bite and we were heading out. She left and I headed back in.
After I relayed the conversation to our group, quite loudly I might add, my food was cold, beer was warm and I was in no mood to stick around. Folks that knew us were also put off by the allegation as we are very much like you Tracy, when it comes to any hint of neglect or thoughtlessness where an animal's welfare is concerned.
Bob ended up announcing that we were heading up to our property and any one that wanted to join us was welcome. We paid the bill, didn't leave any tip and took half the bar (about 10 people) with us.
I have no idea who reported us but I'm sure the owner of that pub felt the repercussions of that allegation.
Was it the right thing to do? Absolutely. However, I think it could have been handled much differently. Had the concerned citizen approached me personally, I would have thanked them for their concern, commended them even and taken them out to the truck to show them the set up.
Of course this is not always the case when you're trying to educate the public but if an owner is around I will always do my best to have them rectify the situation immediately before I pick up a rock or contact the authorities.
You did the right thing. I hope it hits your papers. Your boss would probably lose a lot more business if the headlines read something like... Woman gets fired for protecting innocent dog, left to boil in vehicle, by thoughtless patrons.
And I agree, if this doesn't go in your favor, I'm sure it's a sign that there is much bigger and better things fate has in store for you.
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