Hi Folks!!
 
Two in one morning, wow.
 
Ok, here is the quick soap box.  Being 501 (c) (3) doesn't automatically
get a shelter money.  You can submit to various foundations for grants,
but ferrets do not have lots of supporters on the boards to decide who
gets the grants.  Grant writing is an art too.  If any one of the shelters
on this list rescued, lions or elephants, they would have a better chance
at getting funding.  But we keep trying and writing for grants, because
one of these days we may be surprised.
 
Most foundations that give grants come out to inspect the facility and to
talk to the staff.  I have had 15 foundations visit, which gave me hope,
only to be turned down.  They all had a common reason for denial, you are
a grass roots organization, you should have a building for this.  Ya da
ya da ya da.  (Why do they think I try for grants?  So I can line the
litter boxes with denial letters?)
 
Being 501 (c) (3) allows any individual to deduct their donation on their
taxes, and saves us sales tax.  Becoming 501 (c) (3) is a process I do
not want to repeat.  I was cheap, and did it myself.  It took two and one
half years of filling forms, redoing them, double checking numbers, hours
on the phone with the IRS to make sure I understood a question.
 
So far I have been lucky.  No ADV positives.  But that can change.  What
will happen if I get one?  I don't know.  It may the straw that breaks
the camels back.
 
Just the testing alone can break a shelter.  Let alone having to have
separate facilities for positives.
 
What are we suppose to do?  Our paychecks only go so far, and you have to
pay the rent to keep the roof over the ferrets heads.
 
Right how I am at a position, do I order more tests, or pay to have the
ugly, nasty, bleeding tumor on the little girl I picked up in Kirtland
yesterday?  Her entire left hip is raw, bleeding and infected, larger
that a golf ball.  We tested cells at the vet yesterday, malignant too.
Sweet little thing, gives kisses, silver mitt, about three, dumped with
her cage mate (who by the way has a tumor in her ear) at a Nature Center.
 
Now what to do?  Go to the one vet I am sure that will be able to remove
the tumor, get chemo for her to be sure, and pay $500 or $600 (not that I
have it, but I am pretty sure I can borrow it) or get more tests?  (Oh,
and she would loose a good portion of her hip, possibly the leg).  Do I
get the adrenal surgeries done for the kids that are waiting their turn?
Or do I get more test?
 
There in one thing I am sure of, every shelter operator does other than
pull their hair out, they ask themselves why they don't get off this
merry go round and save themselves the grief and heart break.  The answer
is the same.  we all love ferrets,
 
All of the shelter operators may not get along, or we may disagree with
one another about some things, or how to handle other things, but we all
agree that we LOVE ferrets and we do this for them.  Not for anyone on
any list, not to have mud slung at us, not to have people make judgments
because of policies that may need to be in place to protect the ferrets
in our care, just because we LOVE FERRETS.
 
And if anyone thinks that they want to do this, and can do it better,
please step up and take on this job.  Show us how to handle things
"better".  If you talk the talk, then walk the walk.
 
Ok, I am going back to lurking now that I probably have ticked off a
few people, but that is ok, I am a tough old broad.  After all, I am
the ORIGINAL Shelter Wench!! ; )
 
Jean
Ferrets Unlimited Ferret Shelter
Rescue*Rehab*Educate*Adopt
Cleveland, Ohio
Non Profit, 501 (c) (3)
[Posted in FML issue 3826]