I find your coined name apropos.  One day it may find its way into the
medical journals.
 
Abandonment of ferrets seems to be the problem that finding an answer to
may never come.  Being a shelter, or working in a shelter, or even working
for a shelter, certainly amplifies the fact that ferrets get dumped for all
sorts of reasons.  I have taken in a few ferrets from private adoptions
from owners who gave the most ludicrous of reasons.  And that started well
over 10 years ago.  But what can one truly do to stop it?  That is the
$64,000 question.
 
In the cases I have dealt with, whereby well meaning individuals took in
abandoned ferrets, or people who thought that the ferret would be with
them for life, still ended up changing their minds.  These people were well
aware of the life spans of these critters, and were even aware of potential
illnesses that they could get.  These were determined individuals who had
their heart in the right place.  It just didn't stay there.  Sometimes they
figured it out after a year, and others took much longer.
 
Pet stores are only part of the problem, as they are in the front line of
where people usually get their cute and cuddlies.  How do you educate a pet
store to carefully screen its applicants, so that it does not become an
issue of merely selling an animal for profit?  Many shelters already do a
process of screening, and some breeders offer to take the animals back,
but the truth is that no one can predict which person will abandon them
down the road.  How much are pet stores willing to work with associated
shelters?  It needs to be known what lines not to cross in order to
maintain a healthy relationship.
 
I might suggest starting at cataloguing all the reasons why people give up
their family members.  The good, the bad and the ugly.  Then I would look
at potential solutions that could lesson the dumping.  I'll try to give an
example, although by all means, it is not necessarily the best answer.
 
Pregnancy is one I hear about alot.  Job promotions and relocation is
another.  Having to move into a place that doesn't accept ferrets.  Not
being able to afford medical care.
 
It may seem bias, but maybe the question of "Are you planning to have
children in the future?" should be something placed on the questionnaire.
But what of the fact that not all pregnancies are planned?  What do you
do then?  Public awareness seems like the logical step.  Getting the word
out that your shelter or organization has information for homes that find
themselves in the family way.  The planned parenthood facilities come to
mind.  Maybe they have a model we could follow, and modify for homes with
ferrets and babies.
 
Job promotions: Another tough one.  How does one predict when they will be
forced to relocate?  What about looking at emergency back up plans as
models.  Obviously certain jobs are higher on the list of likelihood when
it comes to relocation.  Asking a potential adopter what his or her field
is should not be taboo.  Why not take a survey of the people who you know
have ferrets, and ask them what line of work they do and how often they
have had to move or relocate.  Ask the new adopters too.  Compile the
lists now and see if there is any correlation between those who dump more
frequently than others.  This will take some time but if there is a
correlation, then the payoff would be worth the lives of many ferrets.
On the other side, for those that have to move, shelters can stand in the
forefront to educate those individuals on travel, and what areas are FFZ,
airlines to use, when and where and how you can't fly them, etc.
 
Moving into a new place that doesn't accept ferrets: This is a two fold
problem.  Shelters need to get information out to landlords and businesses,
as well as educate tenants.  It is funny how some building associations
will allow cats and dogs, but not ferrets.  Why?  They just don't have
the proper knowledge at hand to properly assess ferrets in their buildings.
Let the shelters and the pet stores carry info on why they can be great
pets for small places, as well as info on what tenants can do to prevent
damage to their rental residence.  What about the people who have to move?
What options do they have?  There must be a way to compile a list of
complexes that accept ferrets.  They have them for assisted housing sites,
so why not start one for ferret-accepted sites.  But what of people who
move often?  Why can't shelters ask why certain individuals move more
often than others?  List of references could be requested.
 
Medical care: Even when people are told that care can be expensive, I
feel that they just don't believe it.  What about pet stores and shelters
working with the banks to start and then promote Pet Savings Accounts?
Some people already do this on their own, but what about getting Bandit on
the cover of his very own passbook?  It really needs to be brought to the
forefront the necessity to be able to prepare for an emergency.  If the
banks wouldn't promote it, I am sure the pet stores could.
 
I certainly don't have any answers but I am willing to try to find them.
Let's try to compile info on why people dump first and then try to seek
out enough solutions so that shelters only have to look after a few.
 
Betty and Her Blur O'Fur
For the love of ferrets.....
[Posted in FML issue 3066]