Whew!  It's been a long time since I had a chance to read the FML or even
post.  But I just wanted to throw my $.02 in on this....
 
My husband and I added ferrets to our household many years before our
first or second child.  My oldest son is now three.  Having ferrets has
allowed me to begin to teach my son kindness and respect for all living
things.  I firmly believe that those lessons must start when children are
still young.  I think if you wait until the child is 5 or 10 years old
you have missed that magic window of opportunity when you can influence
the core beliefs of that person.  Sure they can learn things when they
are older, but it may just be that - a learned behavior.  It may not be
part of who they are.  You may or may not agree with this and that is
fine.  It's my opinion and I don't expect everyone to agree with it.
 
But I can say as a parent and long time ferret owner that if a shelter
turned me away without speaking to me or meeting my children just because
I have children, that's fine too.  In focusing on the negative things that
can happen, they have missed an opportunity to adopt a ferret to a loving
family who would carefully supervise the interactions between their
ferrets and their young children.  A place where the ferret and child will
find enjoyment and happiness in each other.  I would take the dollars that
I had intended as a donation for the shelter and visit a local pet store.
They would be more than happy to sell me a ferret without any arbitrary
judgements about me or my home.  Flame me all you want for this but you
know it is the truth.
 
I encourage shelters to make case-by-case decisions. By turning away
everyone with children, prospective good homes as well bad are lost.
 
-kim and the three fuzzy gals - pippi, jinx, and rosie
 
Kimberly Burkard     |            _    Everything I needed to know in life,
Eastman Kodak Company|      _____C .._. I learned from my ferret:
Rochester, New York  | ____/     \___/  Frolic and dance for joy often, have
[log in to unmask]    |<____/\_---\_\    no fear or worries, and enjoy life.
[Posted in FML issue 3715]