While most vets acquire their first ferret when someone dumps it at the
office, Dr. Sandra Kudrak was hand picked by her ferret Zachary.
*I was in a pet store examining two 20-year old cats that were up for
adoption.  This little baby weasel kept reaching through the bars of
his cage and grabbing my smock.  The store owner let him out to *visit.*
The rest is history!*
 
The relationship influenced not only her lifestyle, but her veterinary
practice.  Both Dr. Kudrak and Dr. Alan Peterson regularly see ferrets
in their practice.
*As a veterinarian, I found ferret owners to be unusually devoted to,
and interested in, their ferrets.  I have seen few species with such a
strong owner/pet bond -- yet receive so little protection and regulatory
oversight.  That is why I become so involved in ferret medicine and
politics.*
 
Like all ferret owners, there are those special moments that make Dr.
Kudrak realize that life with ferrets is entertaining, if nothing else.
 
Now she knows *how to get a ferret out from underneath the bathtub
without bring in major demolition equipment.  Fortunately, a squeaky toy
near a pipe entrance under a cupboard proved to be just the trick!*
 
Dr. Kudrak lives in New York with her mom and her 4-footed family.
*The critter family consists of 12 ferrets, 11 cats, 5 birds, and a
dog.............so, quite an extended family! ;)*
 
If given the chance, she would love to spend 24 hours visiting with her
grandparents, who died when whe was 5.  When not at home, her experiences
span the globe.  She enjoys racing whitewater canoes, hiking, biking,
exercising, reading, travel and of course, playing with her ferrets!
Or, reading.  *I like the John Grisham and Clive Cussler series -- light
reading after a hard day at work!*
 
Dr. Kudrak served as a veterinarian in Alaska, a most memorable
experience.  As she tells it, * I (was) working as a veterinarian for
the Iditarod Sled Dog Race.  During an afternoon off, I took a Cessna
out to "tour" the area -- and we flew along a frozen river basin, and I
saw the wildlife migrating along the banks.  Then we flew through several
mountain ranges, including circling the peak of Denali.  The vastness and
wildness of the area left a permanent impression on me.  It shows how we
are only a small piece of an inconceivably large picture painted by
Mother Nature.*
 
Dr. Kudrak shared that she *respects the people who work day in and day
out to better the lives of all homeless creatures (ferrets, cats, dogs)
and don't expect much recognition back except the love they see in the
eyes of the critters whose lives they have improved.  This certainly
would encompass many of the ferret shelter/rescue volunteer workers out
there.*
 
Dr. Kudrak *would like to be remembered as someone that made a difference
in my little corner of the world.*  What can one person do?  Come hear
Dr. Kudrak in St. Louis on April 30 at the 2005 Ferret Symposium to see
how you can make a difference in your own corner of the world!
 
To use this vet:
Sandra Kudrak, D.V.M.
Community Animal Hospital
269 Titusville Road
Poughkeepsie, NY 12603
Telephone: 845-471-7459
http://www.communityah.com/kudrak.htm
 
 
Meet Me in St. Louis!
April 29 - May 1, 2005
International Ferret Congress
http://www.ferretcongress.org
[Posted in FML issue 4840]