Charlene wrote:
>Only the shelter ferrets were to be used in this Adrenal Study in the
>beginning.  All ferrets that were accepted in the study had to be the
>property of WFRS or a paper was to be signed saying that the ferret had
>been turned over to WFRS to be used in the Adrenal study.
 
Have you read the WFRS surrender agreement that people are required to
sign when giving up their ferrets?  You can find it on their website and
it states: "The Washington Ferret Rescue & Shelter reserves the right of
refusal in placing any ferret so surrendered if in their judgment certain
prerequisites of ownership are not met.  No ferret will be placed in
any city, county or state that restricts or bans ownership of ferrets
specifically or by inclusion, nor shall any ferret be knowingly placed
in a home or institution for the purpose of ritual, rite, or medical
experimentation." I brought this to a Board members attention 2 months
ago and I don't see where the statement has been modified.  Seems to
me this could become quite a problem for the shelter if someone were to
take issue.  This is also one of the reasons why WFRS is not eligible
to become a member of the Pacific Ferret Network.  - because of its
affiliation with Cathy and her research.
 
>Dr. Delaney never said in the beginning that she would provide vet care
>to our shelter ferrets.  I know for a fact thou that many times when she
>was at the shelter she did look at shelter ferrets that were ill.  Why
>because she honestly loves FERRETS and their health is a concern to her.
 
Did you receive Cathy's email of Oct 12?  Her exact words are: "They use
ferrets there to train nurses, doctors, and paramedics to be able to put
emergency tracheal tubes in human infants - the ferret is the model.
This is also what the Univ of WA uses ferrets for (then adopts them
out)."  Does that sound like someone who cares about the pain and
suffering of helpless animals?  The WFRS website publicly thanked Madigan
for visiting their shelter.  According to Cathy, they came to the shelter
for a training session however, I don't know what that training was.
 
>Also at times she never knew if the ferrets was a shelter ferret or a
>ferret from one of the volunteers at the shelter, or a foster ferret
>from the shelter.  Many times records in the beginning were not always
>kept up to date, because of time involved with the director of the
>shelter and her own personal life.
 
Not just in the beginning.  This is still happening.  Files can't be
located and medical sheets are not always completed on each ferret that
is seen.  There was a recent incident where some medication had not been
labeled correctly (a volunteer was the victim of one of Cathy's rampages
after she was mistakenly accused of the misdeed).  Health records are
filled out with name and age and nothing else.  I couldn't even tell
prospective adopters if the ferrets had been vaccinated against
distemper.
[Posted in FML issue 4382]