At 05:18 PM 10/7/02, Trudi C wrote:
>"you couldnt have taken it anyother way than an honest point...one from
>the truth"
 
Ummmm NO .... Betty clearly said she did not know the shelters side of
the story.
 
>"well guess what she changed her minbd in the 18th hour"
 
Ummmmmm NO..... That's the way Betty relayed the
person-who-surrendered-her-ferret-and-then-changed-her-mind's side of the
story.  It is NOT (emphasis....not yelling :-) a fact.  Nothing in her
post was a fact, it was pure (insulting) conjecture and wasn't at all
helpful.
 
Now on with the post: Regarding the ferret I mentioned in a recent post
as just on my way out to pick up from Animal Control on Friday.  This
was a "free" ferret to our shelter.  The day she came in, we microchipped
her ($10); distemper vaccine ($2.50); Advantage ($10); Flea bath (our
usual and customary fee is $10).  Our usual and customary boarding fee
is $9/day.  Vet visit to check on reason for limping, $30.  Scheduled a
surgery to pin the broken femur which vet guesses occurred within the
past week- (estimated) fee for surgery $200.00.
 
Now...this particular "free" ferret just 3 days with us is up to $271.50
plus three days boarding at $9/day, and we still haven't done any other
testing.  And THEN (emphasis....not yelling :-) I received a call today
from Animal Control asking me for a "big favor"....... They want the
ferret back.
 
Story is that the ferret had been impounded after a drug bust 3 days
before the shelter called me to pick her up.  (My guess is that's when
the broken leg likely occurred.)  The state of Washington requires
shelters to hold animals 3 days in this circumstance.  So after the 3rd
day when no one contacted them, they had us come get her.
 
Legally, we do not have to return the ferret to animal control.  However,
I will be returning her, so that our relationship with Animal Control
will continue without ill will, and so that they will continue to work
with us and call us about future ferrets.  Do I WANT to do this?  NO.
But sometime you have to do, what you have to do, in order to stay within
the system and make changes.
 
Apparently a relative of the drug dealers called Animal Control on
Saturday morning, found out there was a stray ferret there, went in and
claimed a look alike sable that had just come in on stray hold.  Then...
later on Saturday....another person came in to report her missing ferret.
The area where the ferret was lost, matched the report of the ferret who
was now with the relative of the drug dealers.  (Are you getting
confused?  I was.  But since this seems like an interesting story, I'll
continue. ;-)
 
So now, Animal Control had a mess on their hands, which it took until
today to figure out.  They'd given a stray ferret to the wrong people
(hadn't asked the drug relative any questions about how the ferret came
to be lost or double checked the area the ferret was lost from) and *we*
have the "impounded" ferret.  The relative of the drug dealer said they'd
return the second stray ferret, if they could get their ferret back, and
so the call from Animal Control to us.  We've agreed to return the
ferret, *after* the surgery to pin the bone, so that we can be assured
that the ferret will actually receive the veterinary care she requires.
 
We are NOT a wealthy shelter, but it's not the money that we're concerned
about.  It's about sending this little girl back to a life where the
possibilities are great that she'll one day again come to harm.
 
I doubt very much that the shelter Betty wrote about is keeping the
ferret to make a quick "profit" that's simply not realistic.  Non-profit
shelters report to the IRS and/or state/county.  There's really no such
thing as "profit" when you run a non-profit shelter.  (Maybe a quick
lesson in bookkeeping would help with understanding this.) Rather,
there's a large MISSING piece of the story.  Go ahead and ask the
shelters on the FML "why" a shelter might do this.  But don't jump to
such an outrageous answer, to what should really be a question directed
to the shelter.
 
The rest of us need to keep working within the existing systems, to
change them when they are wrong, or merely need "adjusting."  I've
started trying to cultivate a relationship with the drug dealers
relative.  I've let them know that we're here for this special little
ferret if they ever need a place to house her in an "emergency." I've let
them know that we have a real interest in the little ferret because of
the short time she's spent in our care.  I'll phone to see how she's
doing after her surgery, I'll send her an occasional gift.  I'll keep our
shelter in their minds so that when she needs our help again, she'll be
able to get it.  And maybe next time, she'll be able to stay.  In the
meantime, other ferrets will continue to come to us from Animal Control.
 
Sandi
 
Best Little Rabbit, Rodent & Ferret House
a non-profit animal shelter
14325 Lake City Way NE
Seattle, WA 98125
(206)365-9105
Open 7 days/week or visit our on-line store at:
http://www.RabbitRodentFerret.org
[Posted in FML issue 3929]