The option we have taken with our shelter is to foster each ferret that
is surrendered or rescued by our organization.  This means that a ferret
goes to a home who has been through a screening to ready their home for
ferrets.  Foster homes are varied in their experiences in terms of
medical care, physiotherapy, or new to ferrets altogether.  They are
homes that at times have dogs, or cats, or both, have other animals as
well, or are just waiting for a ferret to cuddle.  But the one thing they
do all have in common is their love and dedication to help these little
guys through their transition to a new home.
 
Volunteers are the foundation of our organization and are more valuable
than gold.  Their value is priceless, as they tirelessly bottle feed the
sick, get covered in medications by an un-cooperative ferret, are thrown
up on, pooped on and more.  They see pain, and dying, and at times feel
the helplessness of not being able to do more than just make life
comfortable for our fuzzy friends.  They pay out of their own pockets for
supplemental foods when we tell them they don't have to, and stay up to
odd hours of the night, even when they have full time jobs.  The foster
moms and dads are beyond what words can truly express...
 
Their rewards come in forms of seeing ferrets walking better on a daily
basis, watching lumps reduce in size, observing new hair growth, and
more.  Just being able to see them take in a piece of kibble on their own
when they have been eating nothing than duck soup can make the day of a
volunteer.  A WOO HOO can be heard from time to time as a normal poop
arrives after weeks of diarrhea, or other forms of green, yellow, brown
or even clear stuff is the only thing seen.
 
The ultimate reward comes when these little guys are fully recovered, and
then find a new permanent home.  Without the vigil of our foster homes,
foster ferrets would not have a chance.  I love our foster parents as
much as I love the fuzzies in their care... Thank you, thank you, thank
you!
 
If I could pay them a salary, I would have no idea of what to give them
for I know it would never be enough.  How can one put a figure on the
value of love and compassion, not to mention worry, hope, fear and
determination?  I don't think that there is enough money in the world
to do it...
 
This is just my way of saying thank you to our foster parents.  Your
dedication to make life better for these little guys is truly monumental.
This world is without a doubt a better place with you in it.
 
Betty Janner
Manager of Calgary Operations
Alberta Ferret Society
www.albertaferretsociety.com
1-877-FERRET-0
[Posted in FML issue 3945]