Cone of Shame

There's a saying I heard years ago, which I believe more each year, that states, "If you put ten zookeepers in a room, the only thing that you can get nine of them to agree on is that the tenth one is doing something incorrectly."  We're an opinionated bunch on the subject of animal care, with strong preferences and strong beliefs.  The more experience you get about animals, the easier it becomes to spot when someone is doing something wrong.

Granted, some things that are "wrong" may be preferences based on factors that you might not be able to tell at a glance, so really not "wrong" at all.  Other times, however, you may pick up on things that are potentially dangerous, resulting in less than adequate welfare, or otherwise unsafe/unsatisfactory from the perspective of the animal.  In those situations, what do you do?

As much as they love to dish it out, many animal care folks hate to receive criticism, and, regrettably, I've seen several who, in the face of perfectly valid comments about ways that they could improve or correct their care, clamp up and double down.  This becomes especially obvious when seen on the internet, in the lack of actual human connection, when criticisms become sharper and more exaggerated, and defenses became more recalcitrant.

So, if there is one thing I've learned, either in person or via the net, whether it's a zoo colleague or a private pet owner, it's this:  shaming doesn't work.  It actually hurts, more often.  They say there's nothing more dangerous than a wounded animal, but there is - wounded pride.  When we're confronted with an animal experiencing suboptimal care, our goal shouldn't be to win points in a public forum or virtue signal.  It needs to be improving that animal's situation.  In those contexts, gentle persuasion, appealing to a caretaker's better instincts, and offers of helpful, practical advice are best.  Much of the time, the caretaker is willing and eager to do better, and just needs guidance on how to start.

Granted, there are times when you do just need to call stuff out, when the kids glove approach has failed, or when the problem is driven by factors other than innocent ignorance, such as greed, indifference, or actual malice.  Thankfully, I find those cases to be fewer and further apart.  Most of the time, people want to do what is best for their animals.  If you can help them reach that goal, they won't be angry or defensive.  They may actually thank you.