http://www.bclocalnews.com/surrey_area/langleytimes/news/12483966.html
Rudeness pays off for animals
By Monique Tamminga - Langley Times - December 14, 2007

Every time a driver is rude when asked to get into the proper lineup at the Aldergrove border crossing, traffic controller Don Dean throws a quarter into his can.
John GORDON/Langley Times

Every time someone yells at Aldergrove Duty Free traffic controller Don Dean, he reaches into his pocket, pulls out a quarter and throws it into a coffee can.

In a year, he's accumulated $50.

All the loose change, in loonies and twoonies, quarters and dimes, was brought to the Langley Animal Shelter the other day.

"I don't even know how much is in there, to be truthful.

"I just love animals and wanted to give back to them," said Dean, a Langley resident who owns a cocker spaniel.

Shelter manager Sean Baker was on the receiving end of the coffee can full of money.

"We counted it out and there's close to $50 in the jar. It's a pretty unusual to get a donation in loose change, but we'll take it any way we can get it," Baker said.

Baker offered Dean a tour of the shelter, but the animal lover couldn't bear it.

"I'm too much of a softie. I couldn't see those poor animals."

Dean works in the duty free store parking lot at the Aldergrove border crossing, helping drivers who stop at the store back into the border lineup after shopping.

"Not everybody is pleasant," he said.

"When someone is verbally abusive to me, I put a quarter in the jar.

"Over the course of the year, others learned about the jar and wanted to put money in too."

"I didn't create the jar to whine or snivel and really didn't tell anybody about it, but some people have asked."

That's when he decided to put a little sign on the front of his coffee can, saying the money goes to the Langley Animal Shelter.

"Some Americans would see the sign on the can and give money too," he said.

Asked if he was going to continue his complaint jar into 2008, he pondered the question.

"Actually, I just emptied a big Maxwell House coffee can, so I guess I could make another complaint jar and see how much I can accumulate next year," said Dean.

As for all the angry customers he deals with, he's glad he turned it into something good.

"It makes me feel good if maybe I helped give a dog or cat an extra day," he said.