I got a call today from a woman who was told by an adoption agency that she
would have to get rid of her two ferrets before they would consider her for
adopting a human child.  They apparently have no concerns about the several
dogs and cats the family also owns.
 
I told her we would certainly take in her ferrets if she felt it neccessary
to give them up, but urged her to question the agency on their assumption
that ferrets were not suitable pets.  I told her there were many statistics
to back up the fact that dogs and cats were actually far more likely to
cause serious injuries than ferrets, and offered to provide her with
information or talk to someone at the adoption agency.
 
I have the LIFE fact sheet on dog vs ferret bites, statistics on dog, cat
and ferret bites reported to Ohio health departments, the 1998 Rabies
Compendium, and of course all the references that say ferrets are
domesticated.
 
Does anyone else have any other simple to convey statistics?  Or better yet,
has anyone had any experience with convincing adoption agencies that ferrets
are suitable pets?
 
She would very much like to be able to keep her pets, but I can understand
her desires for a human child.  The sad irony is that her first ferret was
a gift after she lost her first child.
 
Any assistance would be much appreciated.
 
Linda Iroff
North Coast Ferret Shelter West
"The Raisin Retreat"
http://www.oberlin.edu/~liroff/ncfs.html
[Posted in FML issue 2345]