The exact same situation arose during Operation SAFE with Jackie's refusal
to give Barbara Stubby, the one ferret out of the 50+ ferrets that Barbara
had fallen in love with.  When Barbara initially told everyone that she
wanted to bring this ferret in her home as one of her personal ferrets,
Jackie immediately began to sulk.  This incident occurred on the day of
the FML gathering and is the true reason why Jackie Hawley did not attend
the Saturday night dinner during the gathering in January 1998.  In
closure, Barbara did put aside herself and allowed Jackie to keep the
ferret.  When I heard that the same sitation with Jackie was being
created again, I knew Barbara was in for a lot of heartache.
 
As far as the issue that Jim Higgins brought up regarding ferrets being
dumped upon shelters and never being checked on, two of the ferrets he
referred to are Operation SAFE ferrets that Jim decided to keep as his
personal ferrets.  Jim accuses Barbara of "never returned to take these
ferrets, or even check on there [sic] welfare or help pay the vet bills
that were incurred taking proper care of these abandoned ferrets."  How is
allowing someone, who also happens to run a shelter, to adopt ferrets to
be considered 'abandoning ferrets'?  Moreover, when the ferrets were given
to Jim they had been fully vet-checked and vaccinated.  Why should Barbara
continue to foot the bill for those ferrets following their adoption by
Jim?  (Especially after all adoption fees, designed to recoup shelter
costs, had already been waived by Barbara?)
 
I cannot believe that Jackie, Jim and Sue have stooped so low as to
intentionally hurt Barbara.  This woman gives everything that she has to
animals - her time, her money and her love - only to have small-minded
individuals attack her for what she gives every day of her life.  While
they may be unable to appreciate the amount of hard work done by Barbara,
thanklessly and often unrecognized, I do.  And I thank I her.
 
I ask that further attempts by this trio at ruining Barbara's good name
not be allowed to be published in this forum.
 
Susie
[Posted in FML issue 3269]