From the Ferret Emergency Response, Rescue and Evacuation Team
(F.E.R.R.E.T., ferretemergency.org)

UPDATE ON THE FERRET SHELTER IN JOPLIN, MISSOURI, EFFECTED BY THE
TORNADO

Join our Facebook page for minute to minute updates about the situation
in Joplin and how you can help:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/FERRET/230382286975927

We have been contacted about the ferret shelter located in Joplin, Mo.
and are currently working on getting them supplies. Stacey Lamb from
the Kansas City Ferret Hotline is going to drive to Joplin, MO.
tomorrow morning. Stacey has spoken to the shelter owner, who told her
that the area has been sealed off. Her house is not damaged, but they
have no utilities and no water. Stacey is bringing food, water and
supplies with her. When the authorities seal off an area after a
disaster, the only people allowed in are emergency personnel and
charity/rescue organizations with the proper disaster certifications
from FEMA.

Stacey has offered her home as a refuge for the shelter operator and
her ferrets, but the shelter has declined. I can understand this as
she does not seem to be piped into the ferret community and doesn't
know any of us. I wouldn't let some stranger take my ferrets either.
Just another reason why it is SO important for us to get to know the
shelters within our state and to network with each other. And please,
let's not judge this person's decisions. You never know how you'd react
in such a difficult and stressful situation.

If it turns out that Stacey cannot enter Joplin, we will need to find a
place to deposit the supplies in hopes that the shelter will be able to
pick them up. At this point, we don't even know if the shelter operator
has a vehicle or not with which to pick up the supplies. Assuming she
does, do any of you know a person or a business on the outskirts of
Joplin (as close as we can get) that can hold these items for pick up?

We have contacted the larger, nationwide animal rescue groups (like
Noah's Wish) and asked for assistance in getting volunteers into the
area to help this shelter and any other local ferret owners who need
assistance. We are contacting some of our volunteers that have all of
their disaster certifications to see if they would be available to
help, if needed.

Basically, we're in a holding pattern right now trying to get more
information. There is a lot of misinformation starting to be passed
around so please --- sit tight and wait to hear from us. If we all work
together, our efforts and donations will go a LOT farther than if we
run around, bumping into each other, repeating the same tasks over and
over again.

While we wait for more information, this seems like the appropriate
time to remind folks that we should all have a disaster preparedness
kit with items like a 50 gallon (food rated) drum (or two) filled with
water and a pump or siphon, extra ferret AND people food, an emergency
weather radio and lots of other items too. If you shelter in place, you
MUST be able to make it at least a couple of days before assistance can
reach you. Getting supplies into an afflicted area can be very
difficult and time consuming.

For those of you going to the symposium in Phoenix, F.E.R.R.E.T. will
be doing a disaster preparedness workshop for shelters (non-shelter
people are welcome too) on Friday evening.

We will also be scheduling more workshops in the coming months so stay
tuned.

Thank you for your help and support. We will pass along any information
we get asap.

Lisa Oestereich
F.E.R.R.E.T.
Ferretemergency.org

[Posted in FML 7073]