This is an update, the information that I have finally been able to dig
up.  Although it is not clear who confiscated these 47 ferrets I was able
to reach the judge who heard the case for their disposition in Holt
County.  The ferrets were taken from a woman named Dorcus Pointer but no
one has told me exactly why.  They were placed with Wayside Waifs, a local
Humane Society Shelter, where they were seen by a ferret knowledgeable
vet, Dr. Theresa Bradley.  I have not reached her about their condition
but the breed rescue person at Wayside assures me that they are all alive.
 
The judge told me that unless Ms. Pointer posted an $8000 bond by this
afternoon they would be released to Wayside for "humane disposition".  He
would not elaborate as to the exact meaning of this.  Apparently Wayside
has submitted a claim for close to $8000 for the cost of keeping and
taking care of the ferrets.  (This amount is more than our annual budget
and we care for several times the number of rescues they have, many for
several months.  These confiscated ferrets must be eating caviar!)  The
breed rescue person at Wayside reported that they would want to place the
ferrets.  When I pressed her about what would happen to those not placed
she was very vague.  She was sure that they could place most of them but
they would ask an adoption fee of $75 each.  The fee to a "breed rescue",
such as our shelter would be half that, or $37.50 per ferret.  Cost to us
would then be about $1763.
 
Although this amount could not come out of our shelter budget we could
probably find the money somewhere.  The directress at Wayside is
definately not a ferret friendly person and I would like to get them all
out of there as soon as possible.  A bigger problem is that our shelter
is running almost at capacity with a current census of close to 50.  I
would like to propose that if we took them all perhaps others among you,
individuals and shelters, could find homes for them quickly enough that
our shelter would not swamp and sink.  I, myself, am feeling a bit swamped
as I am teaching full time and taking some rather time consuming
coursework, but the shelter has loyal volunteer help and we could manage
for a short period of time.  (What am I saying?!  I must be out of my
mind!)
 
Troy Lynn, who is the Mistress of Coordination in such cases, would
probably help keep everything straight.  I haven't asked her to do this
but how could she say "no" at this point?  Her monetary resources are
about tapped out with the Utah rescue and we really cannot ask more of
her in that way.  I will try to get in to visit the ferrets this weekend.
Wayside has a number of ferret friendly volunteers and I am not terribly
concerned that the ferrets are being neglected or harmed.
 
So how many would you each like?
 
Bobbi, Shelter Directress and Benign Despot
[Posted in FML issue 3595]