I have an ethical dilemma and I am hoping for some feed back from my
peers and fellow ferret lovers.

Like most shelters I am up to my elbows in the ill and the elderly. I
spend roughly 8 to 10 hours a day cleaning, medicating, tending to the
needs of the special People in my care. I also have to work a 'regular'
job, albeit due to an injury, I am only able to work part time. Some
times between the ferrets and the job, I am stretched so far that my
doctors, family and friends and own body, start growling at me. But
we need the money. The majority of what I get from the part time job
goes to vet bills. If not for that, I would not pay what it costs me
physically to work. Because of these limited physical and financial
resources, I have always kept our shelter small.

I only share this to give you all a clearer picture of our situation.

Now here is the dilemma. More and more I am being contacted by people
with ferrets, which I can tell after a 5 minute phone conversation,
need medical attention, almost always for insulinoma and /or adrenal
disease, are older and unadoptable. I always refer these people to one
of our vets, offer any assistance I can, but usually decline to take
the ferret if I'm full.

Recently I was given the choice by an owner, of taking in an 8 yr old
male with urinary tract problems, long term untreated adrenal, possible
insulinoma and who knows what else, or the owner putting him down
because the owner didn't want to deal with the medical issues.

Put your minds at ease. I took the old guy, antibiotics are clearing up
urinary infection, he's on lupron and melatonin, and getting better.

And therein lies the dilemma. How to refuse to take in more and remain
within our limits, knowing there will be those who will be euthanised.
When to make an exception or not to make an exception.

This has really been troubling me. I am obviously stretched pretty
close to my limits now.

Feel free to contact me off list, just put something about ferrets in
the subject line or it will get tagged as spam. All thoughts and
opinions will be appreciated, including the ones saying I shouldn't
allow myself to be blackmailed, as long as they have some constructive
content.

Thanks.

Brenda

[Posted in FML 5588]