What was F.A.I.R. doing with 50 ferrets??
 
Mary ran a very efficient ferret shelter with the help of hard working,
devoted volunteers.  She had many cages in the store that she rented for
the ferts, and sold product, and sent out newsletters.Her volunteers sold
product at ferret events, and at flea markets.  We posted current lists of
shelter ferrets at pet stores and Vets.
 
The last year, with ferrets starting to grow in popularity here after PETCO
store spent several years selling them, the two shelters here grew from
maybe 20 ferts each for adoption to the point where both shelters had a
waiting list.Buy tiny adorable ferts from PETCO, get tired of bigger
pooping machines in 3 or 4 years,and find a place to dump them all.
 
Mary is my hero, and is someone to admire and to assist financially.  She
would take in a paralyzed fert being eaten alive by maggots that some young
idiot would give up to her as though it was just fine.It would tear her up.
But she would do it.It would die in her arms because she had to kill it.
She has seen so much stupidity and neglect.
 
She took in adrenal ferrets that came in groups of 4 or 5.  Pets getting
sick?  Get rid of them.  She tried to keep them together.  But who wants 4
or 5 adrenal ferrets that are 5 years old?  No one would adopt all of
these.And there were so many like this.
 
Mary also took in rats, rabbits, guinea pigs, prarie dogs, hamsters, and
mice because they would die if she didn't.  Her shelter was always clean,
the ferts clean, clipped, ears cleaned, sick ferts syringe fed, All had
nice cages with hammocks and binkies and a few toys.  They got play time
for about an hour each in several large cages.There was a check list to
make sure every thing was done, and done correctly.
 
I was surprised to learn of people on this list who have shelters in their
homes and have 5 or 10 shelter ferts.  That has it's own set of problems-
like finding volunteers to help, or finding room for selling product to
make money for the ferts.
 
Mary was a vet-tech and a wise business woman.  She was and is a lover of
ferrets and of animals in general.  The cat and dog shelters right around
here are similar to FAIR, except they kill what doesn't sell.They have to.
Or they have to take home the old, or the biters, or diseased, or injured.
Who do you know that can and will do that????
 
Mary did.
 
The time is going to come when we either take in only healthy young ferts,
or we euthenize.That is what I see.  You can't expect the general public
to take in a family of 4 or 5 ferts that need adrenal surgery and have
lymphoma, or are old or have insulinoma or aren't litter box trained and
bite.You really can't expect them to take in any like that.  So what
happens to them all?
 
You can keep shopping at pet stores that sell animals.  Or you can make
sure they know you won't buy from them until they stop selling animals.
And you can tell your friends to do the same.  Tell them to tell their
friends to do the same.  We can make a difference.It won't be tomorrow.
But we can start today.
 
You can send donations to FAIR at P.O. Box 952, Westmont, Il. 60559.
[Posted in FML issue 2679]