I don't run a shelter, and I don't want to get involved too deeply out of
my area for this whole shelter argument, but I just wanted to make a
comment from the 'uninformed owner' perspective.  I have to admit that when
I got my first ferrets (from a store), the only thing I knew about them was
that they were adorable, they ate ferret food, and they used a litterbox.
That's about it.  The fact that they could disappear down a hole the size
of a half-dollar no matter where it was no kidding, I didn't find out until
a couple of days later, when they did just that.  Both returned fine, and
through a long process of self-education, I think I have become a darned
good ferret parent.  My point is, though I loved my girls from the
beginning, I didn't *know* much about ferrets at all - I was just really
lucky while I was learning.  I don't know what shelters consider 'good
homes', but I do know that though I might not have been one then, I am now.
Take some time to help the new owner, to show them the basics, and tell
them where to go for more info, and maybe we can take 'ignorant homes' (not
bad homes, some people just have no love or respect for pets), and make
them into happy homes for ferrets and their people.  But I do see how the
individual shelter owner is going to have to make that call her/himself,
and that it may not be so easy.
 
Megan and the Reject Three
Anastasia ("Hey, it's not my fault you left a hole where I could find it.")
Lexie ("I'll be happy to teach about ferretcare - you start with lots of
raisins...")
and Sammi ("You never let *me* go down any strange holes!  No fair!")
 
--
 
Tell a man that there are 400 billion stars and he'll believe you.
Tell him a bench has wet paint and he has to touch it.
[Posted in FML issue 2518]