[Posted in 3 parts and combined into one.  BIG]
 
It is ok that this person has chosen this avenue to vent their anger about
something that I may or may not have done to them.  It will just make us
look better after we are scrutinized by whomever chooses to come to the
shelter and investigate.  I have on occasion ticked a few folks off for
various reasons and have always known that someone would pull something
like this.
 
First, we currently are, and have been for at least 5 years, held not only
a rescue license at first, and now a shelter license from the Colorado Dept
of Agriculture.  Dr. Keith Rorer, the state vet, was recently here at the
shelter while I was in the hospital and we were shorthanded and found
conditions to be above board and exemplary.  You can call him at
303-239-4161 and ask him personally what he thinks of Especially Ferrets
Inc.  He will remember me personally as I frequently blow the whistle on
stores and such that are in non-compliance and don't care to be helped by
anyone.  I have also on display at my desk, in the intake area of the
shelter as you walk in the door, 3- 2 yrs licenses from the City of Aurora,
allowing me to conduct business in this city.  They are also current.
 
As for the conditions here, all ferrets recieve the highest quality of
care they can possibly recieve.  I have several vets that I use to work
on the ferrets here, and at times do veterinary procedures here under the
direction of my vets, on SHELTER OWNED FERRETS ONLY.  Yes, sometimes
ferrets do die here.  We are a no kill shelter, and I have been provided
certain things to help ease the pain of those suffering and many times will
take them to the vet, for the vet to make the decision to help them across
the bridge.  Some folks bring their ferrets here, after frantically trying
to get care in the middle of the night or on weekends when most vets are
unavailable.  Yes, they do come in some of the most horrible conditions you
can imagine.  I am not the only one who treats ferrets here.  I also have
vet techs volunteer here and many other volunteers that I or my vets have
trained to do a specific function, like give vaccinations or SQ fluids.  It
is a necessary thing here with the volumne ot ferrets we go through here.
 
Conditions here are not squalid by any means.  There are volunteers here
from 9am to sometimes past midnite, 7 days a week, cleaning, feeding,
changing carpets, etc.  Yes, there are cages stacked from ceiling to floor
in someplaces, but.... EVERY cages in the shelter is carpeted, with the
carpets being changed at least once a week, not cleaned, changed with new
carpet.  ( Aurora Rug Binding,303-343-6789, provides us with all the free
carpet we need, ask for Steve Kazmeroff, owner)
 
All cages are equipped with a waterbottle and a water bowl, a food bowl, at
least one litter box, and a hammy.  Sometimes there are more in each cage.
When hammys are worn out, we throw them away.  We only feed Totally Ferret
, except for intake kids, and they are slowly weaned off of whatever junk
they came in on and switched to TF.  We use only Feline Pine, processed
Pine pellets for litter.  It is safe for ferrets and is used by many other
shelters.  ALL ferrets are taken out of their cages to play at least daily
and for varying amounts of times while cages are being cleaned.  On nice
days, they may get to play in Ferretland most of the day, depending on
volunteers schedule.  There is no negative enforcement of bx allowed in
this shelter.  Frequently, there will be so many volunteers here, a lot of
them goof off anf just play with the ferrets.  There is absolutely no
smoking allowed in the shelter or in Ferretland.  Visitors are not allowed
in Ferretland, only trained staff.
 
Every once in awhile, someone will file a complaint against us.  It
gets checked out by the appropriate authorities and is written off as
unsubstantiated.  Aurora Animal Control has a great bunch of Enforcement
staff and have been here on business and by invitation many times Call them
if you like and ask them about us, 303-361-0890 or even call Rebecca Jones
at the Rocky Mountain News.  I am welcome to public scutiny 24 hours a
day, 7 days week.  You may crawl through this shelter with a white glove
if you choose, and oh, yes, you may find some ditrt, but nothing like the
malicious poster who is too much of a coward to name themselves.  They say
the need to protect themself from what, their malicious lies, speculations,
and innuendo.  It's ok, I can stand the heat, but I question the integrity
of the anonymous poster and their intentions to hurt the shelter , the
ferrets that come and go from here and the many volunteers and sometimes
paid workers that work, cry, and give life this, what may very well be the
largest and most productive shelter on the planet.
 
I, the Ferretguy, Randy Horton, do not hide from my accuser, but now
confront him/her as IS my legal right, and ask why would you do such a
terrible thing to these wonderful little creatures and the many hardworking
people that make this shelter breathe.  If anyone has questions, you can
e-mail us or call me at my home, the shelter, at 303-343-6460.
 
Hugs to all, including the anonymous poster(you need one really bad)
Ferretguy
 
[P.S]
In my response to the anonymus poster, I forgot to mention that we are not
breeding ferrets.  We do intact ferrets in from time to time and twice have
had pg jills.  One had 4 babies last spring and she killed three of them
and the fourth died from ?
 
We do on occasion get in babies from Canada and once Path Valley Farms.
They are by fatr, healthier and of better stock than the ferrets available
in the stores around here and when I get enough clients that want them, I
order them and sell them to my clients.  It's just one of the many thing we
do here to make money to keep the shelter operating.  Last years expenses
for the shelter were over $100,000 U.S..  I have frequently made the
statement that for every person that don't like us, there are 1000 that do.
People seem to take being rejected for adoption rather hard sometimes, and
they really don't like it when you accuse them of cruelty.  there are folks
out there who have a reason to not like me or Especially Ferrets Inc.
There reasons are just as valid as the excuses I hear everyday when some
folks surender their ferrets.  Some are b.s.  and they know it and some are
good reasons for bringing the ferrets to the shelter.  Either way, I don't
care, as I know the ferrets that come in to this shelter and many others
and in better hands than the ones they were in.
 
I also will make this my last post regarding the anonymous postrer who
chose this forum to slander a lot of very good people, besides myself.
They aren't worth the time and that time could be better spent on folks
who care and ferrets that need it.  Thank you Bill G, for the opportunity
to air this out.... they say what don't kill you makes you better.  This
is one of the things that won't kill me.
 
Hugs to all,
Ferretguy
 
[P.P.S.]
The U.S. Dept of Agriculture does not regulate shelters in the State of
Colorado, The Colorado Dept of Agriculture does, and we are in Fine
standing with them.  The USDA has nothing to do with shelters in this
state but I welcome an appearance from them anytime of the day or night.
 
There are never any sharps( syringes and such laying around.  New sharps
are in a locked locker and used sharps are in a approved sharp container.
there is a sharps container in the community room and the sick room.  The
shelter is segregated by rooms with doors.  Drugs and other medicines are
kept in a locked frig in the sick room and waste is put is a lined trash
can and disposed of daily.  Medical folks, such as vets etc, like this as
in the event of contamination, each room is seperate from each other.  the
sick room door is closed at all time and no one is allowed in their unless
they are acompanied by a staff member.  Everyone now wears lab coats to
protect their clothes from being soiled in the performance of their jobs
here.  Disposable Scrubs are available to be used in the sick room in the
event of ECE or Heliocobacter breakouts.  We havent started testing for
ADV yet as there have been no confirmed cases in this state.  Also, Jan,
who is a nice lady who has MS, is in our sick room Mon-Fri every week to
tend to the kids when Gloria or others aren't here.  there is usually
someone in the sick room 12-14 hrs a day, 7 days a week.
 
No ferret has ever been defecated or urinated on in this shelter.  I must
say, that when I was working in the sick room all the time, I was the
recipient of frequent "golden showers" from the kids while giving meds
and have been pooped on a fair amount of times.
 
Also, we do follows srict state quarantine regs and then some, Many a
client has had to wait for their fuzzy they liked in intake in order to
not only satisfy state requirements, but to be switched over to TF.  It is
apparent to me that this anonymous poster not only does not know the in and
outs of the shelter business, nor the agencies involved in regulating them,
or the requirements of ferrets.  they are most likely one of the few who
have been given the boot out the shelter for their obvious lack of tact and
intelligence and kindness towards ferret and humanity.  I welcome them to
investigate the USDA.  They are probably goning to get more frustrated as I
think I know the anonymous poster and all attempts toget even with me have
failed, including his efforts to get his money back from his credit card
co.  It's just one of the ways we deal with ferret abusers.  I guess this 3
part posting is now over and I thank Bill G for giving me the opportunity
to defend this shelter and it's activities, unlike the anonymous poster I
consider this over, unless the anonymous poster wants to come back to the
shelter and take some pictures...not
[Posted in FML issue 3219]