To(wrongly) have assumed our Creature had a pulse

[sloggies]

Someone sponsored a furry/feathery creature for dd at Christmas. It took a couple of months to sort out the paperwork, and for the Agent to send us a list of choices. This was sorted about end of February. We decided to visit said Creature, and I called the zoo/attraction to check feeding times and to aske if we could meet Sponsored Creature. We could not, but staff would identify her for us. So we travelled half way accross the country today to find she had died, BEFORE we sponsored her! I am not naming the animal or attraction, because they have tried to put the matter right, but the agent has apparently continued to take sponsorships for Creatures already dead. If this had been for a small child it could have been extremely upsetting.My advice would be to check before visiting that the Creature is alive. Do not assume that because someone has paid to sponsor it they will inform you!

I'm not sure I can offer anything helpful

but your post is unwittingly making me laugh

If anyone was daft enough to travel across the country to visit Bongo the lemur then surely the parents would have presence of mind to point out any old bloody Lemur rather than turning it into a Plato tragedy?

Bongo the Lemur starring in a Plato play

Unfortunately she is 13 and had noticed the absence of the photo on the enclosure...otherwise I would have done.

Well then she's old enough to realise animals die. And I hope the venue are offering a sponsorship of a 'younger/healthy' animal.

Hope you still had a good time.

the photo was being updated since bongo had the makeover

I do think that's a bit sneaky and dishonest.
Makes you wonder how many more there are out there...
Claiming cash for the dead, not a good bit of publicity for them.

Yes, we have another one. We saw him breathing fortunately.

Thats really bloody cheeky.

When my DS's sponsor dog died last year they wrote to me straight away and asked if I wanted to cancel or sponsor another dog.

Sorry, know it shouldn't be funny, but it is!

I'm sorry to laugh, but thank you for raising a smile here :)

Yes, it is kind of funny in parts. That's why my posting style in slightly tongue in cheek!

Was trying so hard not to laugh and controlled myself until "Yes, we have another one. We saw him breathing fortunately."

Yes probably just as well your DD is 13yo and it does seem cheeky to take money for a dead animal. YANBU.

LOL

But not at you not being told the creature was already dead. Long way to travel. Are the payments still being collected for dead creature?

I need to know at least if it was furry or feathery. Or are you deliberately leading us away from the truth - is it actually scaley?

That's awful! I work for a charity, and we do sponsored creatures and I remember a little while back one died and we put a huge amount of thought into how we told people and what to do next and not once did it come up 'ah, let's not bother telling the people giving us money'

YANBU - they were being quite unethical in actively offering a dead creature for sponsorship!

Hassled, I will message you. It was not scaley I promise. The payment was a one-off, as a present.

And it was not Bongo the Lemur, in case anyone actually sponsors him, and is now wondering if he is in fact an ex-lemur....

I need to write a letter to Gift Republic about it, but I might just be wasting my time.