The phone call came over nine years ago.  It was on a Sunday.  The wildlife
rehabilitation hospital where I volunteered had just taken in a ferret.
But the weekend intake staff were calling me just "as a courtesy"...as this
ferret was dirty, filled with fleas and "BIG & MEAN."  They said they would
euthanize him immediately and "save me a trip" to pick him up.  Something
in my brain alerted me with, "NO...not *this* one!" So, I said, "Thanks....
I will drive down immediately and save you from having to euthanize another
animal.  I'm on my way...."
 
I was relatively new to ferret rescue back then; so I just signed the
release forms upon arrival at the facility and headed home with the
seemingly ferocious animal inside a small, dimly lit carrier that I
dared not open for a peak.  There was all kinds of slamming, knocking,
scratching, and hissing emanating from the carrier.
 
Oh, my!  What had I done?  Had I gotten in too deep by accepting this
ferret on behalf of our Miami shelter?  Well, I knew this ferret required
an immediate flea bath and would need to have a "quarantine room" set up
for him.  My husband's large bathroom served that purpose.  The bathtub was
lined with some old towels and, with intense anticipation, I opened the
carrier door to await the frenzied escape of what surely must be the Evil
Ferret of Doom.
 
Out popped EMMETT.....joyfully twisting his big, strong body in great leaps
of delight.  Eyes twinkling.  A happy-go-lucky smile across his big, broad
face.  I had never seen such a powerfully built ferret as he!  He raced
around his slippery enclosed oval track rivaling A.J.Foyt at Daytona.  No
mean ferret he...just youthful exuberance misinterpreted!  (Although people
always first concluded that EMMETT was so named after a football player; my
husband named him after one of our favorite Christmas shows "EMMETT OTTER'S
JUG BAND CHRISTMAS"....sleek and muscular as an otter with such a kindness
of Spirit to warm one's heart.)
 
Back in those days, it was standard operating procedure for me as a
volunteer to bring each rescue down to our Miami facility for further
evaluation and initial exam, etc.  by our Shelter vets.  This was naturally
done with EMMETT.  We didn't realize he had already stolen our hearts and
our minds would soon follow.  However, as visitors to the Miami Shelter
started meeting EMMETT everyone wanted to adopt him.  Several tried, but he
just didn't get along with other ferrets and was quite a handful.  Even one
of my best friends, Carin Riley, tried unsuccessfully to integrate him into
their multiferret household.  By then, Bill was missing his little Bathroom
Buddy who would hop in and out of the bathtub with ease and pop his head up
over the tub sides trying to engage Bill in play.  We were next on the
Adoption list to give EMMETT a try with our little fuzzy family of three
females and one blind male.  No go!  The Girls were firmly entrenched as a
unit and didn't want no big hulking dude--however handsome--out during
their playtimes.  Thus, started "rotations" in our household.
 
EMMETT ended up being a lovingly wonderful "Good Will Ambassador" at our
public educational seminars.  For years, he stole the show at both the
Miami and Fort Lauderdale Pet Expos...making hundreds of new friends for
ferrets.  His photos appeared in The Miami Herald, The Fort Lauderdale News
with children, dogs and even pot-bellied pigs; and in the local TV spots
covering the events.  He was the star of Future Veterinary Club meetings;
Wildlife Care Center Board Meetings; and was "unofficially" banned from
participating in Ferret Fun Matches held annually by our Shelter after he
toodled away with half the prizes one year: CERTIFICATES OF MERIT for the
Largest Ferret, Longest Ferret, Heaviest Ferret; Most Photogenic Ferret;
and WINNER of the Tube Races; Maze Races; Brown Paper Bag Escapes; Sock
Stealing; Soda Bottle Bowling and Yawn-A-Thons!
 
EMMETT started our second "clique" of ferrets...once numbering 14!  He was
the "Gentle Ben" of ferrets.  Healthy as a horse for nine years.  Just a
few months ago, he was started on Pred as a result of a low BG.  Always
game for a Game.  Yesterday morning, I found EMMETT, our beloved #1 Son,
had died peacefully in his sleep--curled up in a favorite fuzzy donut.
 
As my husband so eloquently wrote, "EMMETT died the way he needed to.  He
was big, strong and strapping right up until the end.  He would not have
wanted to die a little each day.  It was better for him to go in his sleep,
comfortable, and still the leader of his group (which now numbered only
three others).  EMMETT was not the type who wanted anyone to worry about
him."
 
We will miss EMMETT immensely; but he leaves a lasting legacy of happiness,
friendship, joy and gentleness of Soul.  For this we celebrate EMMETT's
Life as one well and truly Lived.
[Posted in FML issue 2703]