If it makes you feel better we recently gave another check to the shelter
which is local to us.  Part of what is happening is that there are now so
MANY shelters that many people concentrate on their local ones, some with
money or supplies, some with labor, some with both.  We typically provide
funds to help with the vet care around here.  Also, many of us on the FML
give directly to established locations which improve the veterinary care
of ferrets.  Simple fact is: there's just so much money to go around (same
as time).
 
Don't destroy the two sick ones.  ADOPT THEM OUT.  NEITHER insulinoma nor
most forms of adrenal growths are necessarily terminal IF they are treated
appropriately.  Yes, they might be terminal, but they very, very, very
often are NOT so, and even when they are eventually it's not unusual with
care for the critters to get a year to YEARS more of good, happy life;
that's like a decade to decades for us!
 
I do NOT understand why you are annoyed at the ferret community which has
tried to help ferrets and ferret-people over and over again.  Because there
are limits to our time and funds?  You yourself have limits as you point
out.  Because they can't help every ferret?  You write of yourself: "I am
overwhelmed by my personal responsibilities, and do not feel that my
efforts have done anything long-term to further the quality of life for
ferrets in general." Is there any reason why the people here should be
expected to be any more than simply human, just as you are simply human?
Why pass the buck?  There are a number of people here who devote the
equivalent of a full time job to helping ferrets; others who do things
every single day of the year; others who put money into helping ferrets
instead of taking vacations.  Many can't do that given their other
responsibilities so they do what they can: they clean some shelter cages
every few weeks, they supply some raisin boxes here and there, they put up
webpages which help with the legal efforts or common difficulties, they sew
bedding and surprise shelters with it ... the list could go on and on.  Why
do you think that it's just fine for you to have limitations but the rest
of the world should not?  We ALL need to know that we can't understand what
it's like to be anyone else, that doing what bit we ourselves can to
improve the world (and pushing ourselves to do it) is not only the way to
help ferrets and ferret people but also the way TO ACQUIRE SELF-RESPECT,
and to understand that such pieces add up to a grand whole.  It's not
possible to expect that everyone ELSE will do something; if everyone did
that then nothing would get done.  Every bit counts but if you and each
of the rest of us don't do these bits then they won't be done, and none
of us will have self respect.  On the other hand, if each of us does just
something here and there as we can then we'll have the self-satisfaction of
doing things which have made this world a better place and that's one of
the most gratifying sensations in the world; in fact, it's the pretty well
opposite of the stagnation.  Try doing a small thing for another, then in a
few days try one small thing more, then another, then...
 
Sukie
P.S.  I am sending this to the list (minus the "only for you" part) because
I don't want new folks to think that health problems which can be treated
are terminal and therefore warrant a death sentence, and because the many,
many people here who do so much DESERVE this recognition and thanks for all
they do so often and so well.  You folks are REALLY APPRECIATED!!!!!!!!
[Posted in FML issue 2770]