I would like to share some experience with you all, since I am on the
same page as Donna.

Several years ago, I received a call from a very dear ferret friend.
We had met on a ferret board & I had helped her with some problems
she'd had with her ferret. We had become close friends over time. She
was excited, & bursting at the seams. "Zoo! I just got back from my
lawyer's. I made out a will -- and if I croak, the sanctuary will get
$25,000!" She went on to say "Who else would I leave it to? I have no
hubby--no kids, & you'd take my Bear Baby anyway..." Sadly, my friend
died at the age of 40, in Korea, and I never saw her again. (I had
taken Bear Baby in before she left, so fortunately, he was already here
when it happened.) A year later, her parents came from Canada to meet
us, & visit their grandferret. They donated $5000 to the sanctuary,
and when her dad gave me the check I was floored. I said OMG--Sondra
SAID we were in her will, but I hadn't heard anything" The mom & dad
exchanged a look, and the dad said "Well Sondra left all her important
papers with us--but we never found a will..."

Some time later, our FML friend Rita Bolin died. We had agreed to take
her seven kids if anything ever happened to her. When Rita was in the
hospital, a wonderful group of ferret friends helped to transport her
babies here, so that Rita could die in peace. We sent pictures of my
husband coming in the door with the carriers, and of her babies playing
in the quarantne room. Rita was heavily sedated, but able to identify
each picture, so I could know who was who. Rita had left instructions
for her sister to carry on a three year tradition, after she died.
(Rita always sent $200 on her birthday, her daughter's birthday, my
birthday, and Christmas.) In this way, her babies would be provided
for, for the rest of their lives (she thought.) Rita left everything
she had to her sister, & trusted her to carry out those wishes. Only
three donations happened. Three of the ferrets came in adrenal--and by
the end, six of the seven had gone adrenal. I kept my promise to Rita,
and loved her babies---all of them---until the end of their lives.

Last year, we lost our close friend Sandi Browning. She knew what had
happened to us before--and she also knew that we had followed through
on our promises. She didn't go with a will--which might become lost or
contested. She didn't rely on someone else's promises. She put us into
a trust. LOL -- Donna, you mentioned greedy relatives. Sandi had one
deliberately written OUT of hers!! She spelled out every single thing
(almost.) When Sandi died, things went fairly smoothly. Her babies were
here from Texas in two days, the van was released to us immediately,
to TRANSPORT her babies--and the money (most of it) followed.

If you can afford to have a trust written, that seems to be the most
foolproof (in our opinion.)

I have an insurance policy on my life. Our insurance man will pay the
beneficiaries, no questions asked. Wills can be contested. Insurance
policies can't--according to him. Sadly, my own family respects what
I do---but they do not love these little ones the way I do. I have a
reciprocal agreement with many other ferret owners & shelters. If
something happens to me, they will take one, or a small group (like 5.)
If something happens to THEM, I will take one of theirs, or a small
group (like 5.) The sanctuary would cease taking in more ferrets if I
died--but bills for our ferrets would be paid out of sanctuary funds
(The insurance money)

Death brings out the best in people---or the beast in people. Donna,
think first of the one who will be taking in your beloved furchildren.
Leave that person enough that your babies would always get the care
they needed--even if the person fell on hard times.

Secondly, you might consider SOS (Support Our Shelters) as a worthy
beneficiary. They do a lot of good work.

Trust no one's word--especially if they're not a ferret person. Put
it in writing--and maybe even send a copy to the recipient(s)

Hope this helps.

Love,
Zoo

[Posted in FML 7109]