Manfred,
 
Please believe me, not all shelters are anxious to take in every baby that
needs help.  I run a shelter.  It is extra cages set up in my home to house
ferrets looking for new homes when ever needed.  I still have to live here
and carry on my everyday life around the babies.  I think a lot of shelters
are basically like this, not really a business, something people do out of
kindness.
 
I just heard about the Canadian rescue.  I've been off the FML for about six
months and now busy with the Arcadia Fl rescue.  I support keeping the
ferrets in Canada, not because of political or geographical issues, but
because like you, I understand these poor babies have been terrorized.  The
people involved in the rescue are going to have deep ties to these animals
for long times to come.  If you have someone close to the animal who wants
and will love it.  Then adopt them out there.  I took in ferrets from
Operation SAFE because I live only hours from where they were taken in.  I
would expect a rescue in Washington to accept help from shelters close to it
over me.  Common sense is common sense.  If I was going to buy a car, I go
to the dealer across town, not across country.
 
What you are veiwing is common media sympathy.  Baby Jessica falls down the
well and suddenly has college tution trust funds.  While that is great for
Jessica, how many babies in these people's own town need help.  Only they
weren't plastered on the news for us to know we cared.  Mother Teresa and
Princess Diana were both great women but realisticly, Mother Teresa was the
saint.  TV Sympathy told us to send oceans of flowers to Diana instead of
donations to Mother Teresa's orphans.  Children around the world need
support to fight off starvation and a future of poverty, I'm afraid there
are probably children around my corner who also need the help, just no one
puts them on TV.  You are hearing about the shelters who are jumping up to
offer their well meant and well offered help, believe me there are many more
sending just their prayers, because they do have their hands full.
 
Hell yes, if you or no one else would stand up and protect these babies,
then ship them to me.  I'd figure out some way to climb over their cages and
come up with enough love to make up for the trip.  I'm just glad you and all
those you rounded up for action are there.  (Do I see the begining of a
club?)  Perhaps a calm logical stragedy and explanation of your good
intentions and rationale instead of an I'm going to raise hell in the media
approach will be of more benefit to the ones that matter - the babies.  (I
would only give a helpless baby to a rational adult who I believed I could
trust as a friend or at least close ally.  Friends do disagree, enemies
fight.)
 
Manfred, congratulations, I would say from your actions, you have become an
activist and grass root ferret shelter.  Please understand that while the
'shelters' like you and me are rarely heard from and goes by unnoticed, we
are shelters and we do just as much good as the well known and publizied
ones.  I glad to have you among the crowd.
[Posted in FML issue 2176]