This was not the first carrier and box of ferret belongings that has
been left at our doorstep. No, there have been others before....but
not on Thanksgiving Day.

It wasn't even the first note to the shelter or even one the first to
make me cry.....but this note was different. People not in rescue ask
me all the time why I do what I do.....I will allow the note to answer.

"We are the Stephens Family and these 6 ferret children of ours are our
treasures and we are entrusting them with you. We know you will keep
them safe.

I lost my once-secure position in mid-management of a large company in
September of 2008 and have exhausted our savings account and I have now
have run out of unemployment benefits. God have blessed us with three
young children, Jacob-9, Mathew-8, and Kathryn-6. I have always worked
hard and provided for my family but now we are having to apply for
public assistance because I can no longer feed our children as there
seems to be no hope of my finding work at this time. I have had
part-time jobs and do what I can when the opportunity arises. We lost
our home earlier this year and can no longer find suitable housing for
our children and the small little ferret family we have left with you.
We are having Thanksgiving Day supper with my friend's family because
we don't have the money for our own.

This is one of the most difficult decisions my wife and I have ever had
to make and explaining to our children that we had to give up their
pets was a heartbreaking experience which we will never get over.

We have left you with their bedding and toys. We ran out of food on
Tuesday and it was a choice between feeding our children and buying
food for the ferrets. During the good times, we fed them Marshall's
ferret food but as money got tighter and tighter, we began feeding them
good cat food but we bought their last bag of Walmart kitten food two
weeks ago. When we had money, we would feed them all kinds of treats
but they have not had any treats in over 6 months.

Please don't think unkindly of us as we did the best that we could for
as long as we could and we wanted to keep them as they are part of our
family. We know they are skinny and the two girls are sick, we know. We
just didn't have any money to take them to a vet. You can blame me for
their bad condition. I failed to take care of all of the members of my
family. But I fear that if we keep them any longer, they will suffer.

I found your shelter on the Internet, read all about your shelter, and
my best friend offered to drive them across Arkansas to deliver them to
you because we don't have the money for the gas to drive them to you
ourselves. And, I am ashamed that I must do this to my children and to
the ferret family we love so much.

One day when I get back on my feet, I hope to find the courage to meet
you and thank you for taking in our little ferret family and we will
find a way to repay you for your kindness.

Marc Stephens, Natalie Stephens, Jacob Stephens, Mathew Stephens,
Kathryn Stephens and our ferret family.
Winnie, 5 years old and balding
Minnie, 5 years old and white
Sara, 3 years old and brown
Donnie, 3 years old and black
Mitch, 2 years old and gray and white
Edward, 2 years old and white with a black tip on the tail"


Maren Doshier
Raisins From Heaven Ferret Rescue & Sanctuary
Hernando, MS

[Posted in FML 6534]