Hello Everyone,

A big fuzzie hug to all that emailed me over the past week or so
with advice, offers of assistance, and, most of all, support and
well-wishes. I hope that by this writing, I have replied to each
one of you ... many many thanks!

Since my last writing, the shelter has only received 4 more ferrets,
but alas, all unadoptable due to age .... but the last ferret we
received was this last Sunday. I was busily working my usual 10-hour
Sunday with the ferrets doing the laundry, mixing food for the week,
preparing the week's medications, and the scrubbing of cages and messes
left in the room surrounding the cages. Honestly.....! I don't know
how they do it but sometimes I think these kids intentionally "shoot
it" upwards to see who can get the best height and the longest
distance.

Well, Joe got the call. It was from a cashier at Petco asking us to
come quickly as a couple brought in a ferret who appeared to be
paralyzed as she was not moving and was attempting to bite anyone
who got near her. Joe went immediately and found a little high-white
silver girl, maybe a year, screaming out in pain (or it so appeared)
and unable to move from the waist down. The couple were very distressed
as they were the ones who found her in a box in front of a dumpster
at their apartment complex and worried about her welfare (they have
communicated with me for updates on her progress). Joe brought her home
and she was not emaciated nor dehydrated. She allowed me to clean her
up as she was not in control of her bowels and was messy.....anyway,
she did not eat on her own. I gave her water and A/D by syringe. She
did not cry out once. Perhaps she was afraid earlier. She has been at
the vet office since 7 am Monday morning, Joe got there before my vet
did. She has no apparent fractures and no bones broken. Some bruising.
There is hope as she began moving her legs yesterday and is eating and
drinking better. I hope to have even more hopeful news today when I
check in this afternoon.

The rental agency is assisting me in trying to locate the possible
owner(s) of this ferret but since it is not a "gated community", there
is little hope of finding her owner(s). They could be residents of
the apartment complex or not. It is one of those very large series
of apartment buildings that stretches for blocks. Someone could live
elsewhere and just dumped her there. Unless I have solid evidence, it
is very unlikely I can get a judge to issue a warrant, but I plan on
going door-to-door to see if someone knew someone who had a pet or,
perhaps, saw someone leave a box outside the dumpster, something.....
anything....I don't think they thought she was dead since she was left
in a box in front of the dumpster and not just thrown into the dumpster
itself....

I have seen this type of abuse before, haven't we all.... but she will
probably be a permanent resident if she survives. I need a name for
this little one and Hope has already been taken by a resident a few
years ago who was also an abuse case who made a full recovery and went
on to be adopted by the "perfect family" for her.

On Sunday, I also lost one of my own kids, Conner. A big sweet
dark-eyed white boy who was surrendered by a young woman back in
December of 2004 who was battling cancer. Conner arrived with two other
little silvers - he was ill but the melatonin implants we used with him
kept him alive and so full of life! It was one of my first successes
with the implants. Text book! One day, vomiting, no hair, thin, and no
energy ... introduce the implant .... poof! In about two weeks, his
fur was returning, he was eating regularly, and I saw him dance for the
first time. Conner's heart gave out finally. The burden of the shelter
moms and dads is the non-stop losses .... and it was Marlene's post
that hit home with me.

As shelter moms and dad, we see far more losses than those of you out
there with your pet ferrets. Each death rips my heart out ... no matter
if they are my personal fuzzies or shelter kids. I think the worst part
of the loss of each and every fuzzie is that we shelter moms and dad
do not have time to just mourn their leaving us .... I had 51 other
ferrets to take care of that night, all I could do was cry, hug and
kiss him, wrap him in his favorite blankie and leave him in his cage
until later that night when I had time alone with him. While his
cagemates sniffed and slept all around him, I cried while cleaning
cages and cared for the others who remained and needed me .....
epecially the little silver girl who came to us earlier that day. But
I still felt like a horrible mom ...

The shelter remains open and there is light at the end of the tunnel!
The cavalry has arrived at Raisins! I have been so overwhelmed by the
large number of ferrets at our shelter that I have not been able to
get out much .... that included missing church a lot so far this year,
especially Easter morning services. Well, my pastor took note of this
and came by to find out what was wrong and if we needed help or
something ... and OMG did he get an eye-full! Well, he pitched in
and began a telephone campaign of calling members and those folks
called others and .... bingo! I am teaching class this Saturday - a
group of teenagers anxious to play with ferrets and help me with their
cages and such are my new "helpers" for a few weeks - maybe the summer
if their parents have their way. You know, it's amazing how many
parents are eager to "give up" their kids for a few hours a couple days
a week! And, Joe has had some luck convincing some of our past adoption
families to take in a foster or two.

So, this little in-home shelter is hanging in there .... with some
help ..... and, perhaps, some divine intervention.

Maren Doshier
Founder/President
Raisins From Heaven Ferret Rescue & Sanctuary
Hernando, MS

[Posted in FML 6340]