Before I climb down off my soapbox, there is one more point I want to
address.
 
It has been indicated that the person who put up the web page that Sukie
provided the link to was not on good terms with the people involved with
the rescue, and that she may have been trying to discredit them.  I have
no way of knowing whether or not there is any truth to that, although it
certainly is plausible.
 
So, let me say this - when shelters compete, nobody wins!
 
I have all too often seen the situation where there are 2 shelters near
each other, and one shelter will get more volunteers, more donations,
or maybe more attention.  Soon, the people operating the other shelter
become jealous, and start working to discredit the first shelter.  This
kind of behavior is not only counter productive, it is just plain wrong.
 
I look across the country, and I see areas where the shelters work as a
network.  Several good examples are the shelters in Oregon, or Ohio, or
even my own state of Virginia.  By working together, they can not only
share resources, but also spread out the burden.
 
In contrast, I see areas like Michigan.  I do not mean to pick on
Michigan, but I have a number of friends there, and I know there is
a lot of fighting between shelters and groups.  I do not know all
the reasons for the bad feelings, but I do know that the fighting
accomplishes nothing good.
 
Sheltering is not a competitive sport.  It is not about receiving
recognition.  It is about helping the ferrets.  When shelters bicker
amongst themselves, it is the ferrets that lose.
 
More then anything else, I think that shelter operators need to learn to
put aside their differences and work together for a common goal.  There
is a lot they can offer each other.  No one person knows it all, but we
all know something of importance.  No one person has all the answers,
but we all know some answers.  By sharing our collective knowledge,
think how much more we can accomplish.  If each shelter shared stories
about what has worked for them with others, everyone would learn and
would benefit.  I am not saying that one solution will work in every
instance, but by listening to others experiences, you may see things
from a different point of view.  Instead of looking on other shelters as
competitors, shelter operators should view each other as resources and
friends.
 
And so, with that, I will climb down off my soapbox.  I apologize for
being so long winded today, but these are things I have been thinking
about a lot lately, and they are things I think we all need to think
about.  We all need to plan for the future, and find ways to meet the
needs of our furry companions.
--
Danee
ADV - If your ferret hasn't been tested, you don't know!
For more information visit: http://www.geocities.com/russiansmom
To find out how you can help visit:
http://www.geocities.com/help4adv/index.htm
[Posted in FML issue 4300]