I hope everyone who gets this attached letter can pass it on to anyone they
know who might want to help the ferrets, if you want and can make print copies
and hand them out to whomever you want and can. maybe local pet stores and
vets. Time is of an essence I need to decide soon if this dream is possible
or if it is time to close the last rescue in Colorado.
**Hey Kate, hope you are well can you forward this to Jan and get me an email
for her I would love to talk to her and you also when I get a chance to
breath, Steph **
------------------------Letter-------------------------
My name is Stephanie Sheme and I am president/founder of Ferrets Etc. Ferret
rescue. I founded Ferrets Etc. in 1992 when I found there was only one other
ferret rescue in Colorado. Since then unfortunately the other rescue has
closed. Some other rescues have popped up over the years but they always close
within a year of starting. I believe it is because of the stressful nature of
rescue. It is very stressful emotionally and financially. I am proud to say
Ferrets Etc. Is the longest running and most respected rescue that has been in
Colorado. Ferret rescue is something Colorado cannot lose. I save 100-150
ferrets a year. I also offer many other services such as baby sitting, health
information, educational speeches and veterinary referrals. I even take a
ferret to schools and hospitals to educate children on responsible pet ownership
and to cheer them up in general.
The purpose of this letter is to save the ferrets and the rescue they call
home. Ferrets Etc. is a no kill rescue and would never put a ferret down just
because a home is not available. I give every ferret the same love and care as
I do my own special ferret our mascot "Tika." I myself keep one ferret that
I call my ferret, that ferret is the mascot to rescue and gets free run of the
house and gets to go to all kind of places being the ambassador for ferrets.
The ferret who is mascot to the rescue is always an alumni from the rescue.
The ferrets in our rescue are not caged they have free run of our basement, we
do have two cages left open so the ferrets who like cages can go in and feel
safe.
Anyway to the point, after 14 years of running ferret rescue out of my pocket
I cannot afford to do that anymore. I need to establish our 501 C3 and start
to ask for donations on a more regular basis. We are non profit with the
state and that has always been enough for the small adoption fees we receive, but
now we need to go on to a larger scale. Also being the only rescue left for
ferrets my small basement cannot handle the capacity anymore and the rescue
needs a new home. Right now all adoptions are handled while sitting on the floor
in the front room.
What I am trying to do is raise the funds to move our rescue and set it up in
the best fashion a ferret rescue can be. I want to run ferret rescue until I
drop but to do this I need the help of the public to get us started on a new
and glorious road. We are in Parker right now and since we moved to Parker
ten years ago the cost of living in Parker has gone sky high so we found a great
home in Castle Rock and have done the investigating and cost of living is
much better there. Take for example water, which in rescue we use a lot of for
baths, drinking, cleaning and washing bedding, in Castle Rock the average water
bill is 35% less. So for rescue that is a good incentive to move. Also our
home is very close to being foreclosed on because of the high cost of rescue
and Parker, we literally will not have a home at all in a few months if we do
not get some help, a miracle if you will. I am trying to raise the funds to
help us realize our dream to start a bigger rescue that can handle the demand
that Colorado has for ferret rescue. And mostly so I do not have to shut the
doors to rescue. We found a house that is perfect and it will be ready in July
2007 for us to move in. I hope to raise as much money as possible to use as a
down payment, if we do not have enough down we cannot realize this dream, our
monthly house payments have to stay low. We also want to raise the funds so
if we can move into this house we can set it up right, I will list at the end
of this all the needs I can think of for the new rescue. The basement in this
new house is 3 times as large as ours. We would be able to segregate the
ferrets into adoptable ferrets who are young and playful, olderferrets
who need some down time and an isolation area. It would be so wonderful.
SO please consider making a donation to help me realize this dream of a
bigger and better ferret rescue for all of Colorado. As some may know we do not
stop at Colorado either we will save any ferret we can. We have done rescues
all over the country, including 14 ferrets that came from hurricane Katrina.
Ferrets Etc. is very well respected and if we have to close the doors it would
be a great loss to Colorado and in many ways the rest of the country as well.
If you can make a donation to our fund to save the rescue and help get
us a new bigger and better place to run the rescue it would be
wonderful. Also if anyone knows how to do a 501C3 application any help
would be welcome. I hope to have that established very very soon. By
years end. You can send donations to:
Stephanie Sheme
C/O Ferrets Etc
15775 Greenstone Circle
Parker, Colorado 80134
303-358-8387
303-841-4630 (fax)
[log in to unmask]
**Checks can be made to Stephanie Sheme with Ferrets Etc. in the memo**
What we hope to do with the new rescue......If you can donate toward making
this dream come true financially or if you know someone who is able to help
with a certain product such as flooring that would be great!!
1. A decent down on the house payment.
2. Flooring, probably stainless steel or linoleum (easiest to clean)
3. 2 new fresh cages
4. Incubator
5. New warm blankets, large and small. And lots of baby blankets
6. Plastic bins and containers for storage
7. Cleaning supplies and equipment
8. A lap top for the basement so we can keep records well of each ferret
9. New toys
Contacts to verify Ferrets Etc.
Dr. Jerry Labonde
Homestead Animal Hospital
303-771-7350
Dr. Joe Bock
Adobe Animal Hospital
303-494-4344
Jan Rolhfing
303-973-5860
Kate Quimby
303-978-1624
303-915-9819
Eileen Hansen
303-278-3019
David Hammond
303-698-7983
Chuck Vaile
303-761-7012
Collen Gillen
303-356-2317
Pikes Peak Human Society
1-719-473-1741 x736
[Posted in FML 5393]
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