Boy, Brenda, do I hear you!!!
We have never turned one away, due to age, health, or disposition. We
have 18 adrenals on lupron, after losing Mitts, and are down to 10 on
meds for life. Many here have health issues. We specialize in older &
hospice babies, although there are some younger ones too.
There have been a couple of times, in nine years, that we were at full
capacity, & did allow newbies to go to a trusted member of the ferret
community, or a trusted ferret friend. We have a "safe" list
here---people we would trust to take in a few of ours, in the event
of my incapacitation or demise. ( I am the chief caregiver at Zoo's
Ferret Sanctuary.)
These things have worked for us. Maybe one or more will help you too.
Do your best to build an alliance with neighboring shelters. If you're
at full capacity, sometimes they can take some of the overflow--and
you can do the same for them, when things slow down for you. We have
a good relationship with the GCFA, and some of the southern Wisconsin
shelters, and also a couple in Michigan. We have absorbed a few from
the GCFA. Norm has called us, when the person wanting to surrender
lived closer to US. We have not sent any to the GCFA. Someone from
Wisconsin found us on the internet, & we were comfortable referring
them more locally. Somehow, it has all worked out.
Learn everything you can from your vet. In our early days, I would book
a consultation, & take a notebook with me. I asked some of the dumbest
questions--but I LEARNED!!! Because I had a wonderful relationship with
our first vet, I got a lot of hands on experience. He taught me how to
do subQ fluids, & how to look for earmites-- He taught me where the
organs were--and how to palpate the abdomen.What to look for. When
Old Charlie had his problems, that vet taught me how to express the
bladder. Another of our vets showed me how to look for fecal parasites
under a scope, how to mix heartworm & earmite meds, & how to check the
blood glucose level. I also bought every vet book I could get my hands
on, & researched every ferret illness I could find. Finally, like every
other shelter out there, I learned from sheer experience. With an
average of 55-60 ferrets, we have seen many common, and some not so
common things...We do not advise people out there to play vet--but
there are many things you can learn to do--and do well. We saved
approximately $3500. last year, just by doing easy, routine things.
Make yourself known to any company who manufactures something you need
for your shelter kids. In the last year, we have received free food,
free crocks, free treats, gift certificates etc. Word of mouth is their
best advertisement.
We ask everyone we know to bring us their aluminum cans. We recycle
them for money for meds. (Not everyone has money--nor will they GIVE
you any---but they'll usually hand over their pop & beer cans!! LOL!)
Get into the paper. We have been on the front page, twice in five
years. It brought us some wonderful volunteers! It also brought us
some donations!!! (I know it may bring you some more ferrets too--
but in our experience, it worked out well.)
Have good friends. This is something that isn't pleasant to
discuss--but one day we all die. Our sanctuary has lost two very
wonderful friends & supporters. They loved us, and cared enough to
help with our babies. We were taken care of... I believe an insurance
policy is better than a will. Some people (families) don't like little
weasels. They might contest a will--but the insurance company will pay
whomever you name as beneficiary. The money will go to the shelter, and
those babies. Hey--it does us no good when we die. Anyone truly loving
ferrets should go name a shelter for a certain percentage when they
die. NOW. We never know when it may happen...(and it HAS happened here.
We will be forever grateful to Sondra & Rita....)
Have faith. Never under-estimate the power of prayer. Remember they are
His. Ask for help with them. It will come. We have found that the wants
don't always ---but the needs do....
Hope this helps.
Love,
Zoo
[Posted in FML 5589]
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