Mr. Tilford stated:
>Sandi Ackerman... similarly turned us away from ferret adoption.  She wants
>to inquire about the personal finances of her prospective adoptees to ensure
>that the ferret will be able to receive surgeries as necessary and other
>veterinary services.  I consider this a violation of my privacy as well.
>It is because of people like these that many of us will prefer to utilize
>the service provided by pet stores.  I am delighted with our decision to
>buy one from a local store ...
 
Larry, I can somehow relate to your hesitancy, but did Sandy not provide a
service to you in letting you know there will be costs that perhaps exceed
your expectations in providing for you companion ferret in the future.
Shelters do have a heavy burden in making sure those charges they place go
to homes tha are COMMITTED to the long term relationship.  Our shelter as
well does indeed screen and educate prior to adoption.
 
I doubt that she in fact asked for proof of income-- You must realize that
should you enter any SPCA or humane shelter they too require a screening
process and an education process on the animals you intend to adopt.  There
are reasons for this-- to discourage the impulse adopter and protect the
animal.  That is our foremost mission, to provide for the ferrets, not for
those with a momentary whim.
 
If you Mr. Fulford were to spend the timeresearching the dollars expended
and the time consumed to provide for the discarded ferrets in our ferret
shelters, perhaps you could understand the reasons behind the processes.
 
Instead you too, just compound the problems that ferrets distributed through
pet shop marketing and dispersed to impulsive buyers, face when they are not
needed, or wanted anymore.
 
I am not making a personal attack on your decision, you had that right as
everyone else does, I am just trying to state openily that there are reasons
for processes.
 
We here encourage adopting families to stay in touch-- not because we breed,
but so if there is a period of illness or questions, we can answer them,
comfort them or console them.  It is far better to be educated, to have
someplace or someone to turn to, when a troubled time arrives, we stand
proud to be available to our shelter families whenever they need us.
 
Fondly in ferrets,
 
alicia
another shelter Mom
[Posted in FML issue 2143]