Bravo Bob!
 
I agree with *most* of your points!  The one I don't nessecarily agree with
is housing shelter ferrets seperate from your own- I think in some cases
you need to, others you don't.  It depends on your "not-for-profit" status
and how your shelter is financed.  In our case, all food & litter for ALL
ferrets in my house (currently 28 - 8 of which are mine) is paid for out of
MY pocket, adoption fees go to the shelter vet bill and that is entirely
seperate from my personal ferrets vet bill.  We might be an exception to
the case.  In a shelter where a club pays the bills, or donations from
not-for profit donations do, you are right.
 
I can't thank you enough for making the points about so-called shelters who
are really only collectors.  If it was up to me, every shelter ferret in
this house would be in a permanent home (save the three who are in final
stages of cancer, literally with weeks, maybe months to live, and moving
would be terribly traumatic).
 
As for Julies post- I'll tell you what.  Please tell me your name and
address, and when F&G closes these shelters, I'll make sure ALL the ferrets
come to you.  I know that the few licensed shelters here in NJ don't have a
single empty cage.  So closing the other shelters and taking in the ferrets
from them is not am option.  How could anyone possibly quarantine that many
ferrets before adding them in with their other shelter ferrets?  How could
anyone possibly be expected to pick up the cost of care for that many
ferrets?  The sad truth is that most if not all will be put down, because
the LICENSED shelters in NJ are already full to the brim.  You are throwing
mud at us shelters, but I don't see you offering to help.  Get off your
soapbox until you are.  By the way, your California agenda has nothing to
do with the situation in NJ.
 
-Anne
[Posted in FML issue 2601]