I don't want to stir up a hornet's nest a second time, but I only just
caught up on my FMLs.  I know the shelter operator Pippi has criticized,
and I have been filled in on the situation by a few people.  Fortunately,
I was able to talk with someone who has visited this shelter every few
months, including two recent visits.  We are agreed that the operator truly
cares about the ferrets.  This visitor is adamant about their very strong
opinion on the issue: All This Shelter Ever Really Needed (and still needs)
Is Some Helping Hands.
 
Shelter Critics: How often did each of you go to help that shelter?  Why is
your response to a situation (which most of you only know about by hearsay)
to criticize rather than to pitch in and help?
 
This is not the first time I have heard of ferret club members turning on a
shelter operator and criticizing them for problems they perceive in the
operation of the shelter.  In each case, it becomes clear that the ferret
club has spent more time talking, making rules and having fun ferret events
than in giving the ferret operator what they need most -- someone to scrub
litter boxes, clip nails, and generally work hard and get their hands
dirty.  All too often, people come out to help once or twice, then seem to
forget their promises to return.  Shelter volunteers should not expect to
have a fun time playing with the cute ferrets; they should expect to help
maintain the ferrets' health and wellbeing.  Shelter operators should not
be afraid to ask volunteers to do too much for fear they will never come
back, and they should not have to entertain volunteers when they need their
weekends to do ferret chores.
 
For pity's sake, people (and I do mean for pity's sake), I know it takes me
almost an hour to change the bedding and hammocks and do a light cleaning
on my two cages for my seven ferrets.  That's not counting the litter box
sifting and paper changing, nor scrubbing the litter pans, either.  How
much sleep do you think a shelter operator gets when they have many times
seven ferrets, a few of which probably need intensive medical care, and
they must spend so much time away earning money to support the shelter?
 
If a ferret club has only 12 members, and each one takes one day in
successive weeks to scrub cages and litter boxes and clip nails, they will
each only give up one precious day every three months!  The shelter
operator will be freed to do the daily and medical chores more easily.  The
ferrets will receive more attention because there will be fewer chores for
the operator to do.
 
Of course any shelter appreciates the financial support that a ferret club
can provide.  That support can make a huge difference to the ferrets.  But
to set standards and criticize a shelter for things they will not lift a
finger to help with ... that is a burden too hard for a shelter to bear.
[Posted in FML issue 2539]