Hello everyone,
 
(Bob, I hope you'll let this through-- I would never have met a hedgehog if
it weren't for my work with ferrets)  [You mean Bill?  BIG]
 
About a year ago a friend of mine that does ferret rescue south of me was
out of the state and I was covering her humane societies for her.  I got a
call for a ferret and was asked if I could pick up a gerbil as well as a
favor, since so many of our rescues go up to Reno, and gerbils are legal
there.  I said fine and my friend and I later drove the ferret and gerbil to
the Northern Nevada Ferret (and now gerbil) Rescue.
 
Well, we've opened a pandora's box it seems and now have another gerbil and
a very strange little pin-cusion named Spike.  I got a call from my humane
society that they had a hedgehog and DFG actually suggested that maybe I
could help.  Well, I thought it would be easier than it is turning out to be
to find a home for the little hedgehog.  I was going to fly him to Mary Van
Dahm in Chicago but there's a weather hold and Delta Dash was going to
charge (gulp) $153.00!  We're used to paying about $68.00-$73.00 to fly a
ferret so this is pretty steep.
 
What I'm hoping is that there's someone on the FML that lives in the Reno
area that will help with the gerbil or either has hedgehogs, or knows
someone who does and wouldn't mind taking in a little rescue from CA.  Our
rescue folks in Nevada probably won't have a problem with the gerbil but the
special needs of the hedgehog should be met by someone with experience--
believe me, they're different!  We'll probably wait until we have one or
more ferrets that need to go out before we make the drive (hopefully that
will happen before ski season is over).
 
Please call me ASAP if you are in the Reno/Carson City/Sparks area and can
help me find a loving home for Spike.  Hedgehogs need special care and are
not a domesticated species.  I want to find an experienced owner who can
meet his needs and will love him.  He's 6-8 months of age according to his
past owners.
 
I'm really disappointed that there's apparently not a hedgehog rescue system
in place, only a fancier's club.  All animals need a safety net of the sort
that ferrets, dogs and cats have and these truly exotic (wild, non-native
species), with their very special needs, are extremely vulnerable.
 
Please give me a call if you an help.
 
Jeanne Carley
Californians For Ferret Legalization
(ferret and now apparently gerbil and hedgehog rescue)
415 851-3750
[Posted in FML issue 1832]