Well, the heartache from losing Tabitha wasn't enough, I guess....Hopps has
*somehow* gotten out of my house.  My first priority is FINDING HIM and my
second is find out how he is getting out.  I went downstairs to feed the
g.pigs on Monday evening....and there he was, crawling around under the
porch.  I called him and he came right to me.  He loves to sleep in drawers,
so shortly after, when he disappeared, I figured, as usual, that he had gone
off to sleep.  There was no doors opening and closing leading to the outside
and I did not go out of the house after the initial finding him.......
 
When he didn't come out, I started my mass search in the house.  Continued
it last evening and came to the sinking conclusion that he has found a way
out.  Hopps was a stray originally.  His main objective in life is to GET
OUT!  He is extremely affectionate, loves to give kisses and generally gets
along with all animals, 'hoomans and children.  He is a big fuzzie, overly
big, actually, and is black on his outer hairs and his guard hairs are
white.  He has an extrememly pronounced black mask.  The only unusual
feature about him is that he is big, and that there is a small "v* shaped
notch in his right ear where a dog took a chuck out of him....
 
Because of where I live, I am posting ONLY in the event that somehow,
someway, he has traveled some distance.
 
I live in Caroline County, in a community called Lake Land'or.  Lots and
lots of woods, near absolutely NOTHING except backroads.  The people in this
county are *NOT* ferret knowledgeable, they see them and think that they are
"polecats".  If ANYONE hears ANYTHING, please, please let me know.....
 
I would like to share with you an experience I had in starting the process
of making it known around here that my baby was missing.  I have called the
animal hospitals (two), and put a call in to the animal control shelter.
Explained to the girl what had happened and told her Hopps was a
ferret.....She LAUGHED at me.  She laughed at the fact that he was a ferret,
and she laughed at finding him.  I was describing him explicity and
hopefully my gut feeling is not an issue here.  I could have sworn she was
just *pretending* to write all these things down.....
 
I know the guy in charge...as a matter of fact there was a time that he put
his job (or at least a bad credit going toward him) aside for a dog I was
rescuing.  He was in the kennel, and in the sake of getting the info in, I
opted to go ahead and tell her in case someone brought Hopps in before she
could tell him and they just decided to kill him.
 
The community I live in has bylaws that state that no signs are to be posted
anywhere except on the community bulletin board which no one reads anyway.
I am putting the flyers up this evening *anyway*, hoping they will do some
good before security comes and rips them down.  So, here's a glimmer of hope
that I am sending and a chance to let people know that even though ALL that
we have educated people, still, in some places stay as backwards as years
ago.
 
Thank you,
Karen, Manna, Morrow, Daisy, Bubba, Samantha and a lost Hopps.
[Posted in FML issue 2055]