I originally submitted this post late last week, but BIG found a teensy
part that might have been misidentified as a reference to a recently
"killed debate".  I would've resubmitted it sooner, but I'm fighting with
my home pc and couldn't dial into my work e-mail to do this.  So here it
is........slightly edited and late as usual.
 
I really appreciated Barb Clay's post in which she simplistically
described Rocky's as it is today compared to its beginning days.  As
Director of Animals for Awareness, an educational facility devoted to
wild and exotic animals, I could also relate to her story.  It is a rare
thing for a shelter to start up with state-of-the-art facilities, cages,
equipment and STAFF (paid or unpaid).  Additionally, most shelters lack
the resources to handle the huge inpouring of animals once word gets out
that they're there.  That being the case, shelters (new and old) are
often faced with decisions they'd rather not make.  First and foremost
comes the well-being of the shelter animals themselves.  As difficult
as it may be, shelters may need to turn away animals, even if only
temporarily.  The new cages that were being eyed for purchase may have
to be shelved until more time can be put into fundraising for the cages.
That time is eaten up maintaining the current critters and cages.  It can
be a vicious, tail-chasing circle.  Things do not look so wonderful, but
the animals are hopefully cared-for and safe.  When you're finally able
to surface for air, you might get lucky and find time to solicit
donations or fundraise.  If you're REALLY lucky, someone likes what
you're doing and steps up to the plate to make a gift of the cages.  My
point is that ferret shelters come and go rather quickly.  Luck has only
a little to do with the "survival" of a shelter.  Some of the success
comes from efficiently juggling priorities and successfully balancing
tasks.  But I believe one of the key elements of shelter survival is
continued improvement.  That can mean a lot of things, both tangible and
intangible.
 
I've had the very good fortune of visiting Rocky's and meeting Barb
Clay.  What I saw there was a group of wonderful people who were not only
friendly, but also deeply devoted to the ferrets in their care.  The
building I visited was small, but quaint.  It was clean and organized.
The cages were adequate for temporary shelter housing.  All cages had
clean bedding, as well as hammocks.  Food and water were also present
in every cage.  And the ferrets looked great!  Now, I don't know what
Rocky's consisted of before, but there was a recent mention that years
ago Rocky's ferret cages and trays were in poor shape.  They were
supposedly not only eyesores, but also difficult to clean, so
not-too-fresh.  If this description of Rocky's start-up era is accurate,
then I say KUDOS to Barb and Rocky's for being one of the few that are
able to survive and evolve in the right direction!  Many shelters remain
stagnant until they quietly dissolve.  Or worse, others deteriorate to
the point that the desperation is so evident they're forced to close
(mass surrender) or their shelter animals are removed (mass rescue).  If
I needed to refer someone to a ferret shelter in that area, I wouldn't
hesitate to speak highly of Rocky's.  Barb was kind enough to invite me
to Ferretstock a couple of years ago.  Having JUST had a baby, I really
needed the time away.  It was a lot of fun!!  I missed the last one, but
I'm already looking forward to the next one.  I admire Barb and her
faithful volunteers.  I think they truly love what they do, and it shows.
 
I started Animals for Awareness as a result of some horrible things I saw
at a well-respected dog/cat shelter.  I started it in my lil condo.  When
we moved, I had a growing cougar cub and had just placed an abandoned
bear cub.  My hopes and dreams were way bigger than my resources and
abilities at that time (still are, actually).  I started to write about
our huge transformation and continuing growth, but it was getting too
complicated and long-winded, so I trashed it.  I will say that where
Animals for Awareness is today compared to 10 years ago is astonishing.
People who met us at the start of it and who see us today are amazed.
Where we are today versus 6 months ago is also pretty impressive.  Our
project list is 3 pages long (taped to a fridge), but we are always
working on something, whether it be new fencing or erecting walk-in
cages to replace our portable 3-story cages.  We are always improving,
sometimes quickly, sometimes slooooowly.  And there is always room for
improvement.  Admittedly, we're in need of great improvement in some
areas.  BUT, the animals are happy.  They're healthy.  They're well-fed
and receive proper vet care.  Could you find a metal litter pan in
there that has the beginning of a hole eroded through it?  Probably.
It doesn't take long.  But we have brand new ones waiting in the wing.
I think there's a huge difference between a chronic condition and
transformational condition.  I just tornadoed through my crawl space
and tossed out dozens of cages that were either too small and or partly
rusted.  These were our old cages for some of the critters!  It was a
reminder of how much and how often we've grown over the years.  It made
me really grateful inside.  This type of lifestyle is a struggle on a
daily basis.  I'm very fortunate that I've been able to "maneuver" in a
way that's allowed for us to evolve.
 
When judging a shelter, don't just look at where it is TODAY.  Look
at where it's been and look for signs of where it's going.  I'm not
condoning unsanitary or neglectful conditions.  But you can possibly
make positive something you view in a negative light.  If you approach
a situation correctly, you can frequently find out why something is
the way it is.  Knowing that will help you to suggest a change for the
better.  I hate to spew out a variation of this stupid cliche but......
Be a part of the solution instead of part of the problem.  In terms of
Rocky's and Barb (from my limited view), they frequently seem to be a
part of the solution.  They can use less problems and they can use some
help and support.
 
Kim Schilling - also a Pooflinger <gasp> I wish someone had told me you
guys were so bad before I went through my initiation! ;-)  OMG, does that
mean I'm a bad person too?  And I didn't even DO anything!!  Sheesh.
[Posted in FML issue 4286]