Hello kromsales,
I don't think these people knew the story behind this. I personally wish you the best with your auction. I think that some of the people who read it thought it came across as "sponsoring the event," and not "help pay for the adoption." Using the situation as a "get rich quick" plan would in fact raise some eyebrows, but I think that your situation is a genuine one, and I believe some of the people who posted here may not have looked at the whole picture. I apologize if you felt "talked about behind your back," as that is not what this forum is for. Thank you for stopping by with your thoughts. I wish your auction had picked up some decent bids by now. If you would like any help with future auctions let me know.
Thanks,
Andrew
P.S. I would also like to ask everyone to refer to the forum rules. Please be careful what you say about other people's auctions. You may not know the whole story.