>From: Michael Janke <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: free roaming ferrets
>There was a very similar situation here in South East Florida not too long
>ago. I believe it was in Brevard county (a couple counties north of Miami).
>There was one of two family ferrets that was confirmed to have rabies, and
>according to the article I read, the ferrets were allowed free roam of the
>family's ranch. I believe the wife and a housekeeper were both bitten in
>days preceeding and had to undergo rabies shots.
Michael,
Yes, there was a documented case of a rabid ferret in Brevard Co in Central
Florida last July. I posted several messages about the incident, one of
which is now posted on LIFE's web rabies information page.
Briefly, the case involved two free roaming ferrets on a ranch in Canaveral
Groves. The ferrets were *unvaccinated* and therefore when one was bitten
by a rabid raccoon, the ferret developed rabies.
The ferret bit a petsitter and the ferret's owner and was handled by Dr
Earle and her staff. (He had open weeping wounds from the attack.) I
believe that three people had to be subjected to the post-exposure rabies
series and the vet office people had to make their rabies boosters current.
For anyone who did not request copies of the documents can still do so. I
still have some copies that I made last summer, so if anyone wants a copy,
send me your snail mail address.
>From: Sherri Murphy <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Christmas tree, food, shoes!
>To the person who lost 3 ferts outside--my prayers are with you to find the
>3rd fuzzie alive and healthy. I was so sad to hear about the fuzz-butt found
>dead, but happy one came home alive and well. Have you put up notices at
>>grocery stores or anything? Someone might have taken him in and doesn't
>know how to find you.
Sherri,
First I apologize for the lateness of this post - I just got caught back up
on all the FMLS. *whew* Thanks for the wonderful idea, but we live a rural
area with not a whole lot of homes. We put copies of the fliers in
everyone's mailboxes within a two mile radius and placed fliers on all the
telephone/light poles too.
In addition, we are kinda surrounded by water (creek to the north and east
and a swamp to the west) which I don't think the ferrets would cross. We
found Binky at the house east of us and IVAN! at the house north of us -
neither one traveled far....
I also loved your idea for a tracking device. I had just talked to my
husband about creating something like that for the rest of our ferrets. I
am still taking their deaths hard and immediately begin to frantically worry
when I can't find one of the remaining four!! I told him I would love to
have a device that I could attach to their collars and use to track them. I
don't think that you would need much range since we found our two so close,
but more than 40 feet would be nice! Anyone got any ideas on readily
available electronics that we could do this with?
The shelter's president bought an infared viewer to help locate wayward
ferrets at night. I think their plan is to make it available for use in
locating ferrets for a fee to help offset the viewer's cost. I wish we had
had it available when mine were out!!
To everyone:
Have a Merry Christmas! For those who don't celebrate Christmas, have a
wonderful Holiday Season! And don't forget....spoil those ferrets, they're
gone before you know it!!
Happy ferreting!
Susie Sherman
Member of:
Brevard Ferret Lovers Rescue
Melbourne, FL
===============================================
Those who bring sunshine to the lives
of others cannot keep it from themselves.
-- Sir James Barrie
==============================================
[Posted in FML issue 1791]
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