>We are starting a new way of raising funds for the shelters.  We are
>sitting ferrets for folks in the Atlanta, Georgia area.  The charges are
>going directly to the shelters.  The first recieptant is the Georgia
>Domestic Ferret Association.  A check should be coming Juliana's way for
>$25.  We will be speading the money to other shelters....
 
I did that once myself, last year, and I've got to say that I had a bad
experience with it.  I think it's a great idea, and can work well if set up
properly (and if all parties cooperate) ... but it didn't in my case.
 
What happened in my case is that someone posted to the ferret list, asking
for a ferret sitter for her nine ferrets for two weeks.  It turned out that
the person lived in my area, so I offered to do it.  In exchange, I asked
that this person make a donation to Ferretwise Shelter in New Hampshire
(instead of paying me for the work).
 
Well, in between the time that I agreed to sit, and the time I wound up
ferret sitting, the person acquired a 10th ferret ... really no big problem.
Then it turned out that one of her ferrets wouldn't eat on its own ..  she
had to be handfed.  Hmmm.  (The person added a second pet sitter to the
schedule to help solve that problem).
 
The worst aspect of the whole thing was payment.  This person had just
switched foods (from cat food to ferret food), and wanted to pay the shelter
in the remainder of the "old" food (the cat food) that she had, as the
"donation" to the shelter.  (I'd been thinking more of cash as the donation,
actually).
 
Now, I think donating excess food to a ferret shelter is a WONDERFUL thing..
but Ferretwise is in New Hampshire, and I live in New Jersey.  It would cost
a FORTUNE for me to ship the food that far.  So, I suggested that the food
donation be made to our local, New Jersey shelter (Fuzztek), instead.
 
Well, I don't know what ever happened with that.  I did do the ferret
sitting for the two weeks, and the person called me up afterwards to thank
me, and we discussed again the food going to Fuzztek.  For some reason,
though, the food was never donated to Fuzztek, and I don't know why.  I've
written to the person I ferret sat for a couple of times since then to
"remind" her, but she never did send the food (from what Yvonne at Fuzztek
has told me).  I must admit that I feel somewhat bitter about this,
particularly considering the many trips I made up to the person's house to
ferretsit, the gas, tolls and time it took for me to make those trips ..
and the fact that it was ten ferrets for two weeks, too.  I hope it works
out better for you than it did for me.
 
- Ela
[Posted in FML issue 2280]