To my dear FLC and FML friends,
 
It is with a heavy heart that I write this today.  As some of you know
I posted a couple of weeks ago about my little Sparkles (aka chubola)
escaping from our home and getting lost.  I have desperately searched
for her and posted flyers everywhere and have gone door to door in my
neighborhood to let them know she was out there and alone.  Understand
that I live in rural country so there is an acre or more between houses
around here.  The people who live across the street from me have 2 pit
bulls that they keep on 10-foot chains staked to the ground with an iron
rod.  They also have several small children who are not allowed near the
dogs.  Wonder why?
 
Well I was outside with Teddy in the front yard last night and they were
outside also.  I had told the children that maybe they could come over
sometime and play with the fuzzies if they wanted to.  I thought it would
be nice to let them meet Teddy and crossed the yard and street to the end
of their driveway.  The children were playing there and the mom was up
near the porch talking with some friends.  I squatted down and told them
he was very nice and loves to be petted, so they were all cooing and
petting Teddy.  Very quietly under his breath, the 7 or 8-year-old boy
whispered to me..  "I know what happened to your little ferret"  I could
tell he was trying not to let his mother hear him telling me, because he
kept looking over his shoulder in her direction.  So I kept telling them
things about ferrets in a loud enough voice for their mother to hear and
then quietly whispered back to him!- "you do?" and he said yes.  So I
told them some more things and tried to coax the littlest girl to pet
Teddy.  I whispered again..  "Can you tell me what happened?"  He said
the dog killed her!-I asked what happened to her after that?  "My Daddy
threw her in the trash bin".  I quickly thanked him very much, I didn't
want this little boy to get in trouble with his parents so I said my
goodbye's and walked very calmly across the street.
 
I don't know what hurts more, the callousness we humans have developed,
in the fear of retribution I'm sure, these people didn't even have enough
compassion to allow me to bury my little chubola in our family pet
cemetery at the back of my mothers property under some willow trees.
Or just knowing that she is really gone, I guess it gives me some peace
in a way.  I couldn't cry for her, I'm sure I will the next time I'm
reminded of something she did that was funny or cute or loving.  She
was one of the first two fuzzies that I got and she turned my heart to
melting butter.  I will be working on a memorial page for her at the
Fab Fuzzbutt Ranch.  I just wish I had more pictures of her than I do
(that's a lesson in itself, take as many as you can for you don't know
how long they will be here).
 
I want to thank you all for your kind emails and cards, you are the
greatest bunch of folks, I wish more people were like ferret people,
the world would be a better place to live in!.
 
Suzanne, Sarah & Lizzy
Sadie ((0.(.), Cebo (o.o) Razz-Mimi-Taz (*.*) Mitzi (~.~)Yuri (-.-)
Rascal (^.^) Honey ('.') Tyson (teddy)(<.>) and Cyrano (bear) ((i.(i).
missing my little Sparkles (o.-),
 
Stop by and visit the Ranch for a spell!-
http://www.angelfire.com/poetry/namachar2/The_Fab_Fuzzbutt_Ranchers.html
[Posted in FML issue 4164]