Hi FML'ers
 
I haven't had the opportunity to send posts to the FML for awhile; my
wonderful step-daughter, Jamie, has set up an e-mail address for us (at
her home) which is [log in to unmask]
 
I really owe Lisa Leidig at Ferret Haven by the Sea a huge "Thanks!" for
all of her suggestions, information and listening!  We were slow to start,
getting in an average of 1 ferret per month for the past year, until this
June, and then we suddenly received 13 in one month!  We had our vet come
out and vaccinate 20 ferrets in August.  We didn't have a single reaction
to Fervac-D or rabies.  And thank you, Dr. Zuccaro, for the "Buy 1 surgery,
get 1 surgery free".  Thanks to Lisa for her suggestion to work with
Petsmart!  We had a new Petsmart open in Chesterfield recently, and after
speaking with the store manager and the attending local dog/cat shelter, we
now set up on Saturdays 9:00am to 3:00pm in their front area.  We take 4 of
our "personal" ferrets (with a huge sign that says "We have brought our OWN
ferrets toshare with you today as we feel the crowds might overwhelm some
of our adoptable ferrets, but you are welcome to visit our shelter which is
15 minutes away!") along with a big turnout enclosure and a 3-tiered cage
set up with hammocks and litter boxes.  We hand out literature on every
aspect of ferrets- from care & feeding to common diseases and cancers.  We
were invited to speak at a children's seminar on Pets at a public library
(our 2 attending ferrets got a great "Thank You!" note from the County of
Henrico) and we've had 2 County Animal Shelters contact us to take ferrets.
(Thanks again, Lisa, for reminding Hanover that we're only 20 minutes
away!)
 
We've adopted out 11 ferrets in the past 4 weeks.  I think we're up and
running as a shelter!  Thank you, Pam Troutman (STAR Ferrets), for your
wonderful guide on how to run a shelter.  We use everything in that book!
If any of you shelters out there haven't seen Pam's book, you need to!  And
Thank you to Judith White and SOS for their dedication to helping shelters
and putting together the FML shelter list!  And Thank you, BIG, for your
everyday patience and expertise in having the best ferret forum available.
I give all of our adopters the FML info.
 
And Thank you, God, for giving me the ability and strength to be able to do
something that is so ...satisfying.  Sometimes my heart aches and I cry
about the abuse and suffering so many of these special little guys have
gone through.  I dread dealing with the owners who just don't care.  I
wonder some weeks how we're ever going to pay our vet bills, or if we'll
ever be able to sell our house (that's decorated with poo, suspicious
urine-like marks, hardened Eggo waffles, loose potatoes under the couch and
God knows how many undiscovered poops) so we can have *MORE* room for the
ferrets.  Thank you, God, for letting me have a terrific husband who can
clean cages better than me.  Who runs out and brings home 200lbs of wood
pellets.  Who gives me cages for presents.  And who lets me charge our
Ferretvite on his Visa.  And for our 3 teenagers who have tolerated
stepping in poo more than they care to remember.
 
Thank you, ferret community, for everything.  God Bless.
 
Marlene Blackburn
Richmond Ferret Rescue League
Richmond, VA.
[Posted in FML issue 2832]