>'I just felt compelled to write, though, because I've never understood the
>whole idea of refusing to let a small child have a pet because of their
>age.  Truly, it depends on the individuals!!!
 
(I hope I got the basis of this post right and that it was continuing
the discussion of why some shelters don't adopt to families with small
children. )
 
I couldn't agree more that it depends on the individuals.  But let me
present a view from the other side.  Imagine that you run a ferret shelter.
Many of the ferrets that have passed through your shelter are the result of
"it's my son's/daughter's and s/he got tired of it and doesn't do anything
for it any more."  Or even worse, getting a ferret in with a pulverized leg
and a comment "Oh, I think its leg may be bruised from my son's tricycle.
He ran over it the other day."  (That ferret had to have the leg amputated.)
Or, "I taught my children how to care from animals but they had some
friends over and one of them set the ferret on fire.  The burn isn't too
bad, is it?" Or, "We used to have 3 ferrets, but my kid's friends left
the front door open and one got out."  Or, "We had two ferrets but my 4
year-old's best friend was running and hopping through the house and landed
on my [ferret] and broke its back."
 
I know of many families who's children can and do handle ferrets in a kind
and gentle way.  They make great ferret owners.  How can a shelter operator
be certain that this particular family who does have young children is one
of those; or even if they are the perfect family for a ferret, that one of
the child's friends won't "accidentally" kill or injure the ferret.  It's
always a tough call, but all the shelter operator can do is go by past
experience and gut feel when they place one of their charges.  Yes, we play
the odds.  No, we're not always right.  Some placements in even a childless
home turn out to be a nightmare.  But many feel that the chances of the
ferret suffering an injury or death in a home with a small child just isn't
worth taking that, perhaps small, added risk.
 
Dick B.
[Posted in FML issue 2632]