Dear FML-ers,
 
I don't do this well and I don't do this often(really never).  But I've been
"reading" all of you for so long, I feel as if I'm coming to friends.
 
I volunteer for a very large shelter(probably the largest in the country).
Large shelters have large problems.  We have been silently plugging away for
nearly ten years making ends meet somehow.  We lost everything in hurricane
Andrew (fortunately no ferrets were lost).  We slowly recovered.  We had a
shipment of over 80 unaltered ferrets "donated" to us.  We were devastated.
We slowly recovered.  We got the ECE with over 150 ferrets in our care.  We
were slowly recovering.  We got it again.  This it seems was more than we
could bear.  Besides the daily cost of running such a large shelter, (food,
litter, medications, special diets, electricity, phone, water), we have now
had to hire help because our shelter mom is not in the best of health and
can no longer take the grueling schedule of keeping 98 cages clean.  We have
a few faithful volunteers but most have dropped away because they are
understandably afraid of bringing home the ECE to their "kids".  We have
closed our doors to taking in surrenders and started a referral service for
them.  We only take in strays.  As of June 15th the number of shelter
residents was 125 and over half of those are permanent "guests" because of
age or serious health problems.  Even the adoptable ones are staying longer
because we can't adopt them out to homes already containing ferrets for fear
of ECE contagion.
 
Now that you know a little history, let me tell you why I'm really writing
this.  We have been fortunate to have near the shelter a handful of
incredibly ferret knowledgeable vets.  Unfortunately their services are not
free.  Because of the amount of illness we've had at the shelter in the last
couple of years, our bill has continually mounted.  .  .  with interest.  We
are now on the verge of being refused care.  Care that 125 ferrets cannot
live without.  We have life and death emergencies which arise almost daily.
We have nowhere left to turn.  Our club membership and sponsorship just
doesn't make a dent in this seemingly insurmountable bill when we have daily
expenses to cover.  Please understand we have never done this before and
hope to never have to again but we are desperate.
 
Our outstanding vet bill is $4,000.00.  I know there are so many needs
elsewhere but if anyone feels so compelled to help us, we would be so very
grateful.  It is a very humbling experience to walk into the vets office
with an emergency case when you can't afford to pay for it or all the others
you've brought before.  But we are believing that if we can raise even half,
we will be able to show good faith again and once more plug our way back to
recovery.  I know there are many of you who would generously offer to take
some of the sick ones off our hands but unfortunately that is not an option.
So many of them have been with us for years, they are comfortable, it is
their home, they are on a schedule.  The stress of moving them would be
overwhelming for them.  Thank you for understanding.
 
You may visit our website at: http://www.gate.net/~mjanke
 
We are a 501c3 tax deductible organization so that need not be a concern.
Just earmark the check for "vet bill".  Our mailing address is: South
Florida Ferret Club and Rescue, Inc.  P.O.  Box 570927 Miami, FL 33257-0927
 
I would be more than happy to answer any questions anyone might have.  Feel
free to contact me at: [log in to unmask]
 
Thank you from the bottom of 125 fuzzy little hearts.
 
For the Ferrets,
Carin Riley
Development Committee Chairperson
South Florida Ferret Club and Rescue, Inc.
[Posted in FML issue 1986]