Val, I'm sorry you had such a horrible experence helping a shelter.
These things do happen.  I don't know what happened and its none of my
business to know.  I can only speak from my experences as a shelter mom.
I've run a shelter for 6 years, I've seen volunteers come and go, and
some that have stuck it out through all the hard times.  The shelter
has keep running with no help to many helpers.  Bottom line all the
responsibility falls on the shelter mom or dad.  They deal with so many
things, watching ferrets being turned in that are so sick all you can do
is comfort them over the rainbow bridge, finding forever homes, people
to trust to take care of your precious babies for their entire lives.
Finding the money to pay the bills, in my case working 50 hrs a week at
a regular job, and running the shelter.  They have the shelter in their
homes, and in many cases don't have a "normal" home anymore.  We deal
with volunteers and all the different personalitites that come with
that.  I can't express enough how I feel about my volunteers, they are
my friends, my family.  Since I started running my shelter I lost all my
non ferret friends and I have lost my family.  They have all think I've
gone mad and no longer want to hear excuses that I can't go to dinner or
a movie or take a vacation because I have to take care of the ferrets.
They get sick of hearing that you are broke because you have to pay the
vet bill or buy 150 pounds of litter.  So now the shelter operator, in
some cases has only her volunteers as her family and friends.  You become
close to them, trust them to come to your house and help you.  to share
in the good times and the bad.  When they offer to do something to help,
you rely on that word, that they will come through, and when they don't
it hurts and it puts a double burden on them, they now have to regroup
and find a way to get done what was promised in the first place.  I never
demand anything of my "friends", I ask and if they can then I do expect
that they will do what they say, if they can't, at least give me the
courtesy of a call.  Many of my volunteers have adopted our "special"
ferrets, ferrets that we would not just let go to anyone, I think that
that is a reward of helping, and a big compliment that we trust you and
appriciate what you do for the shelter.
 
I have said many times that I could not run this shelter by myself.  I
take in 300 to 400 ferrets a year, I have the best vet that works with
me, and thats a great blessing in itself.
 
I guess what I'm trying to say is if you do decide to volunteer to a
ferret shelter, remember, you are not the only one that the shelter
operator deals with, you will be appriciated and thanked in many
different ways.  Do it because you love ferets, not for any other reason,
not to make yourself feel good, or look good.  do it for the ferrets and
for the ferrets only.  Remember why you started to help, maybe the
shelter adopted you your first ferret, helped you with a sick ferret,
usually a shelter has extened the act of kindness that drew you to them
to make you want to help.  Remember that if things do go awry, don't
forget that they were once your family, they trusted you, they loved you,
they have some of their ferrets living in your home that they still love.
Don't turn on them, do things that hurt the shelter, don't let the
shelter operator hear from a third party or read on a website that one of
the ferrets that you got from them passed away, it is the most hurtful
thing that can happen.  If things can't be resolved, just part ways, but
remember a note to ask permission to use pics you may have taken of the
shelter ferrets, a note to say one has passed, is just plain courtious.
I admit I am speaking of a past experience, it hurts, it angers me, it
makes me wonder if I should trust anymore people to come into my home and
help.  We now make all our helpers, our family sign release papers, its
very sad.  I can only speak for myself but I can say I have be very
grateful to everything anyone has ever done to help our shelter, I have
thanked them, everyone.  Maybe not to their satisfaction, but how do I
now what that is.  Look at me I live in a house with 80 plus ferrets
running around, I spend my free time cleaning cages, going to the vet,
doing adoptions, doing pickups.  My life revolves around them.  Does that
sound like a normal person to you?  Didn't think so.
 
Take care, CJ
24 Carat Ferret Rescue And Shelter "where ferrets and volunteers are
treated like gold"
[Posted in FML issue 4211]