Good Morning!
Again, so many people concerned about us and for the ferrets we care
for due to the storm systems...I wish I could answer all of your emails
and calls faster, but alas there is just not enough time.
Things are changing hourly and I wanted to give a status report with
updated information.
We are destined to receive at least 6 more kids.
One is a stray and it was just by happen-chance that the AC officer
found out about the network bringing the ferrets to Raisins. It appears
to be a little female silver that was found in a field after the first
stormy weekend. The AC officer was called and she took the little one
home rather than take it to the county shelter and has been caring for
it for nearly two weeks now. She was trying to find its owner with no
luck and then she heard about the rescue groups' coalition with the
Red Cross and got word to me about this little one and she will arrive
tomorrow with 5 others from neighboring middle Tennessee counties.
These kids are from farming communities and the owners are pretty much
giving them up at this point. But they know that they do not have to
make a final decision for a while. The transports are being made by
relays and driven by volunteers of local rescue groups. The ferrets
are being transported with cats only to prevent distemper exposure or
other medical issues related to dogs.
I am a bit worried about this little stray as the storms produced
standing water and ..... mosquitos! Heart worms.
We are in the process of working with a mobile veterinary clinic that
will be coming this way next week to care for the ferrets received on
this program. They have ordered the needed vaccines and a local vet
with ferret experience will be tending to the ferrets for us. I just
wish I knew which vet-local vets volunteer for this program and the
national organization sponsors and pays for the unit and the equipment
and medications. This is a tremendous help. At least, the ferrets will
all be examined and vaccinated at no cost to Raisins....although I
think this little stray should see our vet and be tested for heart
worms. And the little guy, Trouble, should see our vet also. I suspect
adrenal of some sort.
This morning, not more than 30 minutes after leaving the house to go
to my job in Memphis, I received a call from Joe, my fiancee', who
said that 4 big Ferret Nation boxes arrived by a fellow driving a
U-haul van. The driver told Joe that he was hired by a "personal
representative of a Nashville resident" to drive boxes and boxes of
pet-related items to several animal rescue groups in Memphis and in
DeSoto County--including the Ferret Nation cage boxes to our address.
He did not really offer much more information than that, but both men
believe someone in the country music industry donated these cages as
well as some other cages and equipment to other dog and cat rescue
groups taking in pets from Nashville through the Red Cross program.
Wow! Joe spent hours putting them together and now we have a better
setup for some of our newest members with a little room to spare. I am
ov erwhelmed with appreciation. There are no words - a true god-send!
Unless we receive many more ferrets, I think the issue of cages has
been resolved. And, we will be able to send the ferrets home with the
cages we are not using to house other ferrets in shelter and help some
families with a new start. That was our plan all along...to give to
the families cages, bedding, bottle, bowls, toys, whatever they need
to begin anew once they reclaim their pets. FEMA has advised that most
of the flood victims need to discard all clothing and bedding items
and furniture and the like due to contamination and bacteria. And, of
course, the tornado victims have little left after the destruction. So,
many of these families will need everything .. and we should be able
to provide that.
One last note before I go care for ferrets, all but one ferret in this
program are "owned" ferrets and not strays and are not available for
adoption or transport out of our shelter. Every rescue group on this
program has agreed to house and care for these animals for their
families and owners and will not be available for adoption or
relocation unless surrendered by their owners in writing. And, Raisins
has a verbal agreement with these owners as well and I will not violate
that trust. I appreciate the offers to relocate the ferrets but this is
not an option for us, at least not now.
Again, many many thanks to all who have expressed words of
encouragement, prayers, and donations of all sorts. I cannot tell you
how much that means to me and to Joe and to the ferrets in our care.
And, to their families and owners who have lost soo much these past
few weeks. It means so much to these people that their pets are loved
and cared for and waiting for them.
God Bless You All,
Maren in MS.
[Posted in FML 6696]
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