The shelter list maintained by me, Fran Wiles, for the AFA newsletter &
website is a RESOURCE for ferret owners.  I don't claim it to be
ALL-KNOWING, TOTALLY PERFECT; nor is ANY other shelter list, including
STAR*.  I could go through the STAR list & pick up on inconsistencies that I
perhaps am aware of & maybe STAR* is not, and vice-versa, but I do not have
the time to go through (nor do I really want to) 1,100 names of shelters,
breeders, contacts, vets, vendors, etc.  just to pick out something that
isn't the same as the info.  I have been given.  I may not always be
informed of changes of info.  FYI - Karen Yaremkowych's listing was correct
except for the fact that Horicon, WI had not been changed to "S.
Milwaukee".  EXCUUUUUSE ME!  I didn't know we were having a "shelter
resource list" competition.  That is not MY intent.  I provide the listing
as a service to the AFA & anyone else who needs it.  I am not competing with
STAR*, believe me, I have NO desire to do this, and what purpose would it
serve anyway.  I have & always will be here to help the ferret community,
but for goodness sakes, give this shelter resource list thing a rest.  I
have MANY shelter ferrets currently that are requiring the major portion of
my time outside of my regular job, I don't have time for mindless squabbles
about whose list is more correct.  I am SICK of defending the fact that my
shelter list is "inferior" to STAR*'s, as I said, I didn't know it was a
competition.
 
As for "reinventing the wheel", think of it this way: Because one person
invented the automobile, does that mean we all drive one kind of car, no one
ever made a different one & there should not be more than one kind of car?
Am I not allowed to have a shelter list???  I didn't know I was committing a
crime by maintaining one.  I applaud STAR*'s efforts.  Congratulations on a
very useful resource listing that helps the ferret community.  But as I
stated in a private post to STAR*, if my small shelter listing helps even
one person, then it is worth the time & effort I do have to put forth in
producing/maintaining that list for the AFA.  STAR* may benefit from the AFA
list (as stated in STAR*'s post) by finding a resource on it that STAR* does
not have.  GREAT!!!  Someone may have contacted me & not contacted STAR*, or
vice versa.  At least someone found the source & added it to their list.  Is
this bad???  I don't think so.  Get back to what we all do all this hard
work for - FERRETS - & we can all take care of our little corners of the
world in harmony - not bickering & finger-pointing.  I like MY list just the
way it is - even if it isn't 100% accurate all the time.  I get very few
complaints about it.  Thank you.  I may not have as much time as STAR* does
to update my listings as often due to my busy load at the shelter, but the
ferrets under my care must come first.  I do the list for the AFA in any
time I have that isn't taken up by geriatric ferret care, ferret pickups,
vet visits, ferret adoption appts., vaccinating, etc.  etc.  I care for an
avg.  35 to 75 ferrets at ALL times.  If anyone knows what this is like, I
don't have to explain/defend what I am doing.
 
Sorry for the nature of this post - but I had to say this on my own behalf.
 
Sincerely - Fran & the fuzzies in PA  (home e-mail: [log in to unmask])
 
Fran Wiles - [log in to unmask]
NCI/FCRDC, Work Planning & Control Dept., FME
Voice: (301)846-1071  Fax:  (301)846-6154
[Posted in FML issue 1897]