[2-part post combined.  BIG]
 
Sorry so long, guess I have a lot to say.  I'm just a lurker, and a
shelter mom, and mostly, I don't contribute because I haven't felt that
I had anything valuable to post.  However, this got my attention, and I
just have to list my experiences because I feel some important issues
have been missed.
 
I agree with what Anne said about what should be considered as a large
rescue.  If I remember correctly, the most our shelter has ever taken
in at once was 7 ferrets.  To us it was a large rescue, because we just
opened our doors and two of the 7 fuzzies that were brought in, came in
while having an insulinomic seizure.  What fast learners we became.  Of
course it was on a firday evening right after the vets closed.  We and
the fuzzies survived however, and have only learned since.  That was
two and a half years ago.  Since then, getting five or six ferrets in at
once, is normal daily routine.
 
Anne said "One thing I learned when running a shelter was how to say
"No".  "
 
We tried this.  And we tried the drop off fee, we also tried the waiting
list, and here's what happened...
 
Last August, I got a call from a guy who wanted to dump his four ferrets
on us.  I asked him about them, things sounded so perfect.  He's giving
them up because they don't have the time due to new job and baby, not
fair to the ferrets, etc.  I asked if any of the ferrets had showed signs
of illness, and he said that one of them has just a tad of hair loss on
her tail, nothing that would worry anyone.
 
The home they were currently in sounded so perfect, I didn't feel there
was an immediate danger, nor did I feel they were being neglected.  I
explained to the guy that I was leaving for a week, and that the shelter
is currently full, but if he would call back in two weeks, I could
probably take his ferrets then.
 
He called back a month later, and same thing, ferrets did not sound in
danger or neglected.  We went ahead and arranged a time for the ferrets
to be dropped off, no urgency was placed on this.  What was dropped off
was four very neglected ferrets.  One of which, Lilly, was rushed in for
emergency surgery as she had no hair, and a vulva the size of my thumb.
She almost didn't make it.  Fortunately she did, and I'm not kicking
myself in the rear for all the what if's that could have been, had she
not made it.  If she hadn't pulled through, I would have never forgiven
myself for not taking them in a month sooner.
 
Then there was Beevo.  Beevo was dropped off at our animal control and
was considered a stray as the person who dropped him off, claimed to have
found him.  By state law, strays have to stay at animal control for a
certain amount of days, then they are released to us.  Beevo was dropped
off in bad shape, and the second we picked him up we took him straight
to the vet.  Unfortunately, he did not make it.  I do kick myself in the
rear for this one.  I had just announced on our local list that I will
no longer be taking in private surrenders due to the number of adrenal
ferrets being dropped off.  I don't know if this person was on our local
list or not, but I keep feeling like maybe I prevented Beevo from coming
in to the shelter sooner, and maybe saving his life.  I no longer say no
to anyone.
 
As far as drop off fees go, I have gotten into the habit where I let
everyone know that we ask for a $20 drop off donation but is not
required.  I am always promised a check in the mail but never get it.
I have been accused of making money off of people's ferrets for asking
for this donation, I'm sure you can see why I don't make an issue out
of it.  We are 501(c)3, but most people don't even know what that is.
 
Speaking of checks.  We no longer accept checks for adoption fees, nor
will I allow someone dropping off a ferret write a check to my vet.  This
is due to so many bad checks being written along with many having stop
payments on them.  The last thing I need is a check to bounce that was
written to my vet.  If someone wants to mail them a check, great, but I
will not be the person that delivers my vet clinic a bad check.
 
When people drop off ill ferrets, such as adrenal, I do make a big issue
explaining the cost on the shelter for paying for the surgery.  Most
people who are not true ferret lovers, don't believe adrenal exists and
are stil convinced that hair loss is the sign of old age.  I am then
called a liar and told I'm trying to take advantage of their unfortunate
situation.
 
The few things that I have found that works, is I ask that they bring
all of the ferrets belongings, cage included, so that the ferret feels
more comfortable.  This way I can sell the cage to raise money, and it
prevents them from getting another healthy ferret as they no longer have
any supplies.
 
As far as getting to the root of the problem, such as the ferret stinks,
and educating on diet, bathing, etc.  I have learned that the "root of
the problem" is really the simple fact that they no longer want their
high maintance ferret and are making every excuse they can think of to
get rid of it.  This is the same for allergies, moving to CA, etc.
 
I had a situation where a younger guy bought a ferret from the petstore,
called me for advice because his ferret was such a terror, his previous
ferret was an angel, and he wanted this one to be just like it.  After
discussing diet for smell, not bathing for smell, more time out of
cage to keep from being bored, etc. I got a phone call two weeks later
telling me to "get the f*****g thing out of it's home now!"  When we
showed up to pick up the ferret, not only had he not done any of the
suggestions, the ferret was being kept in a poorly ventilated, home made
cage and still being fed low quality cat food.
 
Then there was KatieK and Kelsie.  The guy called wanting money for his
ferrets surgeries.  We talked a lot about vets, payments, costs, etc.
Two months later, I had KatieK and Kelsie dropped off from a guy who
was driving a brand new duallie, but had no money for the cost of his
ferrets.  He did not do any of my suggestions, instead, he brought me a
half naked ferret near death, another ferret who had a tumor on her tail
the size of a golf ball.  He was quoted $125 for the tail surgery, and
$450 for the adrenal ferret.  He of course couldn't afford it, though I'm
sure his monthly truck payment was twice that.  To add icing to the cake.
He brought his 8 year old daughter with him, who was in tears, and he
brought the ferrets dog food that you can buy at the local dollar store.
He claimed they don't sell ferret or cat food in the city he lives in
(fernely NV).  Both fuzzies had their surgeries and have since been
adopted.
 
While there are some true callers who have real problems, the majority
are not.  But when someone wants me to take the ferret, I have learned
not to question it, I just do it.  In 99% of the cases, I made the right
choice not questioning it.
 
I like the idea of a signed contract from the shelter stating that if
a ferret becomes adrenal within a year, the shelter will pay for the
surgery, but does that include the cost of the ultrasound and vet visit?
And don't all ferrets eventually become adrenal?  I think that's just a
big risk to us.  We also never know how many emergencies we will have,
so we can't predict that six months from now we'll be able to afford a
non-emergency adrenal surgery.  We have an ongoing vet bill that is an
average of $2500 to $4800 regardless the size of our monthly payment.
We are thankful to our vet clinic to be so understanding, but there's no
guarantees that we can just take an adrenal ferret in anytime.  What we
do instead, is we offer the new parents a dropped adoption fee, we also
give them a great deal of used supplies including a cage for free.  This
is to save the new parents money as start up for the ferrets, in return
they pay for the ferrets adrenal surgery.
 
I feel that shelter operators should always look for ways to save money
on shelter costs, but also be realistic of what their city and state is
like.  The point of being a shelter is to rescue the animals that need
help, not making assumptions that just because someone said over the
phone that their ferret is well taken care, that they are.  Chances are,
if they want you to take their ferret, they have already begun the
neglect stage of their animals life.
 
Please don't get me wrong, I'm not saying everyone is like that.  I've
had many "true" rescues.  Terminally ill people, people who lost jobs,
death, etc.  There are real reasons to give up pets, and it's easy to
tell the difference between the types of rescues.  Something as simple
as vet visits and diet will tell you most of what you need to know.
 
As far as fundraising on this list goes.  I have no problem with
fundraising from other shelters.  No matter how prepared you think you
are, there are alwasy exceptions, especially financially.  I do have one
rule.  Everything in moderation.  I have personally never asked for help
on the FML.  But I have also never posted any stories or information on
our shelter.  I do post for help on other lists, but I am an active
member on those lists.
 
I do enjoy the FML very much, and have only been on it for about six
months.  I especially enjoy the bwidge gweeters.  Unfortunately, I have
very busy days of cleaning and taking care of furry kids, so many times
I just have to scan through, especially when I see certain names that I
know are the same old stuff, like advertising.
 
I hope I didn't offend anyone in my post, this is just my personal
opinion based on experience.  Every city and shelter is different and
has different needs.
 
October
www.renoferrets.org
Where no ferret is denied the right to be a ferret.
[Posted in FML issue 4853]