Katherine I have to agree 100% - it is so misleading to the public for
wildlife sanctuaries to also house domestic pets- it makes people think
that ferrets can live fine in the wild and that raccoons make good
pets, you know. Here at critter Camp Exotic Pet Sanctuary we get calls
daily to take in squirrels etc, and we have to explain that we only
take pets- exotic pets - which mean that they are not dogs or cats &
not native to our country and therefore cannot live in the wild here,
and they have been bred in captivity sometimes for hundreds or
thousands of years (ferrets, hedgehogs, etc.) People ask why we can't
release the fennec foxes here- well for one we don't live in the Sahara
desert, and for another they wouldn't know how to find food not in a
bowl or a where to sleep without their beds, or not to snuggle up to
cats & dogs.....

In Illinois the licensing is compeltely different to have an animal
shelter or be a wildlife rehabber, and all wildlife must be kept
completely separate from all domestic animals. Which I feel is a good
thing. It is so hard to educate the public on these issues as it is,
it doesn't help when even rescuers mix the two.

And hey i have to add a big thank you to Wolfy for her very sweet post
about my son Alex's book & the article about him- I am so glad to know
her thru the ferrets and the boys- what a kinship we have, even sharign
a somewhat bizarre sense of humor :) Thanks woman!!

Beth
www.crittercamp.org
Critter Camp Exotic Pet Sanctuary

[Posted in FML 6840]