The first time I met Susann Theil, I was sitting in my living room and
she was working in my home state of Louisiana -- helping animals who
had been displaced by Hurricane Katrina. And that was a memorable
moment for Susann, too. Not because of me, but because of two small
ferrets she found beneath a stack of rabbit cages in the Lamar-Dixon
emergency animal shelter just outside of Baton Rouge. South Louisiana
in September is hot and humid. As Susann said, "...-- temps over 100
degrees in the daytime, "cooling off" to around 85 or 90 degrees at
night; high humidity; constant noise with barks, howls, shrieks...just
pure chaos. They were eating rabbit food and had nothing in their
cages to burrow under. Josie was in particularly bad shape. I honestly
thought she was dead when I saw her."  And, so the foundation of the
Ferret Emergency Response, Rescue and Evacuation Team.

Susann, formerly of Army intelligence, received her first ferret as a
gift from her roommates. ". I came home after working the swing shift
one night around 11 p.m. My roommates had just left for their overnight
shift, so nobody was home and our apartment was pitch dark. The whole
building was quiet. I opened the door and out ran this thing, this tiny
brown animal ... I had no idea what it was, but it seemed friendly
enough! I had to wait until my roommates woke up the following
afternoon to learn that it was a ferret (I had never seen one before)
and it was my Christmas present. Surprise!"

Susann, who loves to run and backpack, met her husband while she was
training for a marathon. He was first her coach, then her friend. In
2001 he also became her husband. With George, Susann also became mom to
her "two wonderful stepdaughters, Carolyn and Malerie, age 'almost-16'
and 13." They also have four ferrets, including Ollie and Mia, adopted
from Lakewood Road Ferret Farm. She has been owned by a total of 13
ferrets since 1983.

Another one of Susann's loves is poker. Her claim to poker fame is
beating Kenny Rogers in a no-limit hold 'em game. In Portland she plans
to find time to do some climbing and sight-seeing. And, she is also
looking to meet more ferret friends. Want to get to know more about
Susann? Ask her what animal she would like to be, or have her tell you
about her hero. Or, if you have the courage, about some non-ferret
memories. You ever heard the phrase, If I tell you, I'd have to kill
you? All she told me was that "living in Berlin during the Cold War
was such a great experience. I've been very, very lucky."

Susann enjoys reading anything about endurance and adventure -- as long
as it is true. For music she turns to Ministry and the Beastie Boys

When I finally met Susann and her husband, George, face to face, it was
on New Year's Eve 2005 and I was privileged to deliver Coco and Josie
to their new mom, their rescuer. Coco died last month from an unrelated
cause. Shortly thereafter Susann was once more in south Louisiana for a
training opportunity. The phone rang and once again Susann was on the
other end. "Hi, Renee, can we get a little ferret in Jefferson Parish
to a safe place?" For more details, ask Susann about the new addition
to their family.

Susann would like to be remembered as someone who kept trying to push
the envelope. Join her at the symposium and hear her share. You will
understand why this incredible woman will always be on the cutting edge
of whatever she does.

To learn more about Susann and what she does, visit her business site
at http://www.arete-communications.com. Or visit one of these sites
to learn more about what she does: www.ferretemergency.org,
www.uan.org/ears or www.sartusa.org.

-- 
renee :)
It's amazing how much can be accomplished if nobody cares who gets the
credit!

Ferret Emergency Response, Rescue & Evacuation Team (F.E.R.R.E.T.)
http://www.ferretemergency.org
[log in to unmask]
International Ferret Congress
http://www.ferretcongress.org
American Red Cross
http://www.redcross.org

[Posted in FML 5572]