Rosemarie and Shay,

I am very sorry that you are going through this stressful situation.
I know how I would feel if it were one of my own.

However, animals do not technically have 'rights' because they are
considered objects, in other words possessions much as women and
children used to be considered chattel.

I don't see that the animal shelter acted inappropriately to begin with
because they followed the law and after the required time did find a
home for the rescued ferret rather than have it euthanized.

However, once the owners turned up, the Director of the shelter should
have negotiated a return of your fuzzkid. And you are correct that a
reasonable, caring person might have been disappointed to return the
ferret but would have done so nevertheless.

I ask myself what would compel a person to keep an animal, knowing
that its owners are frantic to get it back? All speculation but some
possibilities are that the person was in fact never contacted; or the
person believes the ferret is better off with her/him, perhaps thinking
the former owners were negligent or abusive; or the person is extremely
immature and doesn't understand human/animal bonds. I am certain there
are numerous other possibilities.

I would suggest appealing directly to the Board of Directors of the
shelter, never mind the shelter Director, who has already acted
inappropriately. I would also address a letter to the new owner
describing the life Ollie had with you. I would not make it an angry
letter because you don't really know what the person has been told
about the ferret's previous home. You want to show them that you
provided a caring and loving home. Do not assume the person knows this.

Good luck and let's hope Ollie gets home soon.

Tressie
Chair
Ferret Lovers Society of Atlantic Canada
http://www.flsatlanticcanada.org/

[Posted in FML 6265]