Hi!
 
My name is K (yeah, just the letter _ ;;;), I live in Ithaca, NY, and
Milo is a year-old ferret living with my nextdoor neighbors.
 
He's a wonderful little guy and very friendly, but they haven't been
taking very good care of him.  Last month he fell off their third-story
balcony and luckily got away with only a cut and some painful bruises.
Today he wasn't as lucky.  It's unclear whether he fell from the balcony
again or down some stairs, but he definitely has a fracture to his left
femur, just above the knee joint.  In spite of the pain and that he was
alone with me, a comparative stranger, he was not aggressive and very
trusting all the way to the animal hospital, where he is now resting
and on pain medication, along with fluids.  (Apparently he hasn't been
getting sufficient water because the vet said he was dehydrated.)
 
I am paying for his care through tomorrow [Monday] morning (including
the radiographs taken).  That comes to about $500.  Surgery, which would
take place Monday at soonest, would be an additional $1000, and they say
that without it he'll probably never use the leg again.  I hate to upset
the kids by taking him away, but Milo is paying the price of their
irresponsibility and in very high coin, too.  On the strength of the
money I've already spent on him, I'm going to try to talk the mother of
the family into letting Milo go to a new home.  I've already located a
foster home for him, through the local ferret rescue society (Western
New York and Finger Lakes Ferret Assocation).
 
It's very doubtful I can pay for the surgery.  I'm currently undergoing
refinancing, and an additional $1000 was not anticipated.  I also have
a cocker spaniel (the same family's previous pet, as it so happens), and
I have to have some credit available in case something major happens to
him.  I don't know what to do, but I can't just abandon Milo.  His
predicament is not his fault.
 
I'm not looking for my money back; I'm just looking to get the surgery
covered.  He's at Cornell's Veterinary School's hospital; I am sure
payments could be made directly to them.  I'm not expecting anyone to
just trust me that the money is going for the ferret.  I would insist
with his family that if they did not pay for the surgery (there is no
way they can pay), they'd have to give him up to the ferret rescue.
 
Thanks for any assistance you can give him or advice you can give me!
 
K
[Posted in FML issue 4948]