In the last few years, numerous hurricanes have hit the Gulf Coast
from Texas to Florida, causing an upheaval in the lives of many ferret
shelters and owners.  Many suffered loss of loved ones and loss or
damage to homes.  The International Ferret Congress (IFC) began the
Emergency Love Fund (ELF) in an attempt to provide ferrets and ferret
owners with the type of assistance that other groups, such as Support
Our Shelters (SOS), could not provide due to their bylaws.  For example,
ELF provided generators to some Florida shelters a couple of years ago.
 
Last year, in the wake of the hurricanes that hit the coast, especially
Katrina, many ferret owners on the FML wanted to do something to help.
There were offers of food, bedding, cages and money from the generous
people on this list and there was no central location to which it could
be sent.  The IFC, working with other ferret groups, individuals and pet
supply companies, arranged for these donations to be sent to families of
ferrets that were affected by Katrina, as well as to help shelters who
had never had ferrets before.
 
While working with the people in Louisiana, members of the IFC had the
privilege of meeting Susann Thiel of New York, who was volunteering at
Lamar-Dixon, an all-animal shelter set up in south Louisiana.  From
there, Susann was able to help two ferrets find their way to northwest
LA where they remained at the Humane Society shelter and became poster
ferrets for the new Frazzled Ferret Organization, run by Nancy Bardwell,
a Humane Society volunteer.
 
To better deal with future emergencies, members of the IFC, along with
some new faces -- including Susann's -- formed FERRET, the Ferret
Emergency Response, Rescue and Evacuation Team.  Our mission is to
provide support in the form of supplies and education to large rescuers
such as HSUS, ASPCA, EARS and Noah's Wish, who may take in ferrets in
the course of major natural or man-made disasters.  Additionally, with
the assistance of groups such as Ferrets Across America (FAA), SOS and
the American Ferret Association (AFA), we will transport ferrets to
foster homes or new permanent homes, as well as Humane Society and other
shelters.  Hopefully, all ferrets will be reunited with their owners and
we will assist either monetarily or with supplies.
 
Our purpose is not to establish new shelters or to place ferrets
in private homes.  During last year's hurricanes, we did work with
individuals who had done so, providing them with food, other supplies
and vet care.  We also had the opportunity to meet new people who gave
of themselves and to provide them an outlet for their generosity.  Now,
we have an official means of doing so.
 
To learn more about FERRET, please visit our website at
http://www.ferretemergency.org
 
A special thanks to webmistress Susann Thiel, for her wonderful work,
and to Sue Burda, who designed the ferret used in the logo.  If you would
like to join us in our endeavor to assist ferrets and educate the public,
you may want to join our list, IFC-FERT, on Yahoo Groups.  Or, contact us
at [log in to unmask]
 
Renee Downs
Linda Iroff
Lisa Oestereich
Fran Prager
Anne Ryan
Susann Thiel
[Posted in FML issue 5243]