Okay, I have let the whole battle about shelters go on, read both sides,
and I learned alot.  And I kept my mouth shut (figuratively), because I
learn a whole lot more that way.  Now I have been moved to make a few
comments, about LuAnn's post yesterday.  I would like to say that I don't
live in or near Minnesota, I live in Ohio, and this isn't about a 'grudge'
or vengenance.
 
>Third, the responsibility of our shelter is first and foremost to the
>safety, care and well being of the ferrets.  Period.  ...
>Many people that talk with our shelter mom think that she is rude
 
Running a shelter isn't just about knowing how to take care of ferrets,
it's knowing how to work with people, since your aim is to bring the two
together.  If this is acknowledged by someone who is defending her, imagine
how she is affecting people who are just meeting her.
 
>She doesn't adopt to households with children under 6, most shelters the
>age limit is 10 years old.
 
A blanket policy seems a little stiff, since there are families that are
very responsible with the mix of ferrets and children.  You've cut out a
large part of the population, there.  Is it possible to consider novice
and experienced families differently?
 
>She doesn't require a financial background check
 
Hello??  I love my ferrets and all animals as much as anyone on this list,
but this isn't a 'leniancy', it would be absolutely ridiculous.  Not only
do I think that it is a poor indicator as to the quality of care someone
would give a pet, it is discrimination against someone who doesn't have a
high income level.
 
>there is no way for us to know if you are the woman that called the
>shelter looking to adopt a ferret the DAY AFTER she killed her ferret in
>the washing machine because she didn't check the laundry basket before
>tossing the laundry in the machine.
 
This I took as VERY OFFENSIVE!  In October, we were unfortunate enough to
'kill' our beautiful Quinn in our dishwasher because we didn't check the
machine before turning it on.  It is still and will probably always be a
thing that haunts us.  But, we were new to ferret parenting.  If anything,
we have become better parents than ever, because we are very careful to
watch for anything that will hurt our babies!!!  And we also found
ourselves faced with the need of another ferret the DAY AFTER Quinn died,
because we were very worried about our 12 week old baby ferret, who was
very upset and looking everywhere for his Quinn.  We called a local shelter
operator, told her our story honestly, and she cried with us.  We told her
that in memory of Quinn, we wanted to adopt a 'special needs' ferret.  We
brought home Chumba that evening, who is mostly blind due to congenital
cataracts.  The excitement of having Chumba at home helped Dessie adjust to
losing his Quinn, but we know we didn't just replace Quinn for us, or for
him, because he refused to let Chumba out of his site for over two weeks,
something he hadn't done with Quinn.  Now they are the best of friends, and
very beautiful, well cared for ferrets, who get the best we can possibly
give them.  The lady who runs the local ferret club, who is close friends
with the shelter operator, and saw how well we are taking care of Chumba at
the last two meetings entrusted us with one of her rescues, our little 7
year old Sequoia, who joined us last week.
 
Sorry this is getting so long, but my point is, according to your judgement
of what makes a horrible prospect of an adoptive home, we never would have
been given our sweet Chumba, based on our mistake with Quinn.  Or our
Sequoia.  All 3 of ours are getting Totally Ferret food, well taken care
of cage, with 3-4 hours run time week nights, more on weekends, prompt
veteranary care, lots of toys and treats, parents who read the FML and
Modern Ferret religiously to keep up with all the latest news and ideas,
and most importantly....more love than words can convey.
 
I guess my second point is something that Bob Church pointed out.  The main
reason for a shelter is to *temporarily* house ferrets until finding a good
home.  I agree with stringency, but I think it's more important to listen
with your heart as well as your head, and make sure new parents feel they
have a resource and support in the shelter system, and to also let them
know, if they find this isn't the right pet for them, (which Millie pointed
out so well yesterday, this can happen with even the most good intentioned)
to bring it back, rather than abusing, neglecting or passing on the ferret.
A few might have to undergo the trauma of changing environments
unnecessarily, but I think you would place more, and due to the open door
policy, not be sending ferrets to their doom or detriment.
 
Thank you for putting up with this, of Great FML, and I hope you and yours
are all enjoying a happy holiday season.
Sherry
[Posted in FML issue 2533]