Forgot to mention: I went through MOST of the AVAR webiste and articles
(not all since am VERY low on time) and so far have found absolutely NO
mention of ferrets at all in the current rendition.  It sure wouldn't hurt
if you folks also checked the site in case you can find mention that I
missed or didn't get to, yet.  Let us all know, okay?
 
I have also heard from several FML people that PETA still DOES say that
ferrets are wild animals which should be turned loose to fend for
themselves, with a few who added that they say the same thing about any
pet animals.
 
You know the shelter we got Seven from?  On my birthday (of all days) there
were charges filed against it that it has been improperly euthanisizing
animals.  Hard to tell from the write-up how much there is to back the
claim but they are under state watch for some other things, too, so
something's sure wrong there.  All I can say about it is: they did NOT
clean Seven in any way and since there was tar on her that is definitely
bad, they did not know that she had extensive tooth damage, they did not
have the state forms or appear to know about them.  On the other hand, she
definitely was NOT ignored -- she was used to handling and was extremely
friendly to all from the get-go so they had loving down right at least.
 
The last time I saw local humane groups close down a place (a small zoo
which was bad in some ways and horrid in others -- while having improved
to acceptable for some animals (from being bad in all ways and horrid in
others) almost all of the animals there were DESTROYED since placement
couldn't be found by the organizations which closed down the zoo.  It would
have been much more logical for them to remove the animals treated horridly
right up front, then remove the ones treated badly after trying first to
find homes, and then leave the ones treated right in the zoo with a ban
from the start of action on adding any new animals.  That would have left
the place with fewer so they could have coped better and given more impetus
for continuing to improve, without almost all of the animals dead.  There
was NO good reason to destroy most of those animals.  It just got to the
point where people got their backs up and wanted so strongly to win their
fight that they didn't take into consideration what would happen to the
critters.
 
Anyway, one of those SAME people is among those going after the place where
we got Seven so if history is any guide Seven is lucky to be here and alive
one way or the other.  (Hope they go to a step-by-step procedure designed
to save as many animals as possible instead of the shelter animals dying
like the zoo ones did, but if history is any guide...)
 
Hmmm, if anyone were to describe shelter ferrets based on those who joined
our home the word which would come to mind would be "KISSY".
 
I think that people sometimes look at that shelter survey with increased
risks of certain illnesses and forget that the MULTIPLE HOME surveys did
NOT -- repeat NOT -- find that pattern holding in the home settings.  The
shelter ferrets didn't show any more illness in those surveys than the ones
from other sources AFTER THEY WERE IN A HOME SETTING.  Don't take my word
for it; use the FML search feature and find the surveys!!!!!!  The high
numbers in shelters may simply reflect which ferrets are turned in, or
might have something to do with shelters in general.  No one knows.  It
definitely makes sense to ADOPT or FOSTER!!!!
 
Sometimes it feels like the world is turned on it's head.  A few people who
are supposed to be helping animals actually are hurting them because they
get so intense on their "mission" that they forget to think whether what
they are doing actually helps animals and they leave out little things like
"facts" to stay true to that "mission".  That's a very tearful thing.
Maybe part of what we need to do as ferret people is to try harder to find
more ways to correct these situations.  I know some people here who already
work on this and they are wonderful though they are undermanned, so for
those of you who want a project for 2000 but don't have space for a
shelter, or schedule freedom to look into timely issues or tackle things
like legislative efforts this might be among the useful things you can do
to help ferrets and other animals.  Think about it.  Meanwhile, DO support
the marvelous groups which DO consider facts and DO help ferrets; they need
your praise, your help, your funds, your waiting arms every day of every
week of every month in 2000 and beyond.
[Posted in FML issue 2908]