Better late than never, I suppose......as a BOD member of Zoo's
Sanctuary, I'd like to clarify some points Ms. Clay made.
>I've been to one sanctuary, and that was Cathy Strobach's. She has
>a wonderful set up, with love and care. What I saw were 8 week old
>ferrets and upwards.
Cathy Strobach has not now nor has she ever had 8 week old ferrets at
the Sanctuary. The youngest ones she has ever had were 2 four month old
youngsters surrendered as biters. Nor has she ever purchased kits from
a pet store or a breeder.
>Those in her care were typical of what we receive everyday in
>shelters, their stories or origin were no different than what we
>get. The only difference is that we adopt out, she doesn't.
Again, not true. If you mean by adopting out, she gets an adoption
fee......no. If you mean does she rehome ferrets to approved
people.....yes. I got the original IL 4 from Cathy. It's how we met.
>That doesn't mean that I don't respect her for what she does, because
>I do. I respect and appreciate anyone taking in unwanted ferrets. I
>just wished that sanctuaries would hear the need of the community to
>place ferrets that are unwanted. The best lecture about ferret care
>and commitment, is welcoming them to your facility...to adopt...and
>not sending them off to the petstore to get a ferret, in my humbled
>opinion.
Your humble opinion is quite simply.....wrong. Cathy Strobach does not,
nor has she ever sent someone to a petstore to get a ferret. If she has
someone looking for a ferret, but she has none that are a good fit, she
always (ALWAYS) sends them to GCFA (Greater Chicago Ferret
Association). She says they need adopters more than she does.
You might think she has people willing to adopt ferrets all the time,
but she doesn't. She has had perhaps 15 requests in all the years of
rescue. She's in a college area..........far more likely to have
turn-ins from impulse buying than legitimate requests for adoption. And
let's face it......college students aren't the most reliable/stable
group to be adopting to.
>Years ago I predicted that the surrender of ferrets would soon over
>burden existing shelters, that they would come to the common terms of
>cat and dog shelters, with having to euthanize. The cause for PTS dogs
>and cats is the lack of adoption. I hope and pray that as a ferret
>community, we are not there. I'm so scared. We're close, to damn close.
>This years dump season, by all accounts, is incredibly overwhelming.
>The way we can reduce this threat, is to adopt to those we educate, to
>the very people we are reaching out to telling them about ferrets as
>companion pets. Ferrets aren't for everyone, and it's our mission, as
>those that rescue and shelter, to make that happen or not.
>
>Again, I give my appreciation for sanctuaries, but my most respect is
>for shelter ops that are laboring with adoption applications and making
>decisions. I just wish sanctuaries would reconsider the option to adopt
>to the very ones you educate about ferrets, and give adoption as an
>option, rather than buy from a pet store. When they adopt, they get YOU
>too! ...and YOU are worth so much in partnering a forever life of a
>ferret and the family you placed the ferret(s) with. Ferrets purchased?
>Those families are just rung out at the register.
We can argue Sanctuaries vs. Rescues/Shelters forever. What is the
difference between a sanctuary ferret or a *permanent* resident in a
shelter/rescue........and you know all the shelters have them. What
difference does it make......the ferret is in a safe place either way.
For the ferrets.
Diane Iverson
WI
BOD member of Zoo's Sanctuary
[Posted in FML 5734]
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