Georgia, I think your idea of an auction site for the NJ ferrets is a
great idea! :->  I'd be happy to auction some of the ferret soaps I make
to help out these poor ferrets, too.
 
I was one of the people who went to the animal shelter in Upper Township to
help pick up the ferrets, and I must say that it was a really disheartening
sight.  Joanne (the lady who runs the shelter) is just a wonderful, very
caring woman, and had done what she could for them in a really overwhelming
situation.
 
Nonetheless, many of them were still in their original (filthy, rusted
through) wire cages, while others were in Have-a-Heart animal traps
(because the shelter had run out of cages for them).  Those cages and traps
were stacked on top of one another in a couple of spare dog cages ..  with
no wire bottoms, so the feces and urine from the ferrets up on top just
dripped down onto the animals on the bottom.
 
In the other shelter room, the ferrets were in standard dog/cat kennels
(which were absolutely spotless, by the way .. this is a very well run ...
although clearly very underfunded shelter).  Many of the ferrets were
bright orange, and it was hard to tell what colour they were really meant
to be.
 
I give Anne a lot of credit ..  she charged right in and started pulling
them out of cages, giving them a quick assessment, and putting them into
carriers for the trip home.  They all looked very bewildered, many were
very scared, and many seemed too sick to really know what was going on
around them.  Some were so delighted to be in fresh, clean bedding that
they kept burrowing through it and rolling on their backs in ecstatic
delight.  Some of them bit hard, and Anne had to resort to gloves to handle
them.  Most, however, were amazingly sweet and well-tempered considering
everything that was happening to them.
 
We loaded the carriers into the van, and it was a two and a half hour drive
back to Anne and Jim's house (the ferret shelter).  Once we got them there,
the first order of business was to give the ferrets water.  They were all
so delighted to see water that they were clambering over each other to get
to the water bottles.  When we got out the food, they were so hungry that
at first we just resorted to dumping handfuls of food directly onto the
floor of the cages.  Once it calmed down a bit, we were able to get out
bowls and feeders, and put them into the cages.
 
While most of the ferrets ate like they hadn't had a decent meal in weeks,
some were clearly too sick to take food or water on their own.  Yvonne gave
them sub-q fluids and cared for them.  I have the feeling some of them will
have to be put down.  :-<
 
So, that was our Xmas ferret rescue.  I know Anne and Kim are still in need
of many things (including money, for the overwhelming vet.  bills to come).
I think a ferret auction site would be a wonderful way to help out, if you
could.  Happy Holidays to all!
 
- Ela
 
 
   (000)___(000)        Ela Heyn
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[Posted in FML issue 3278]