As I was catching up on email after being away for a week due to a move,
I had a flashback of last summer when my shelter was at 55 ferrets, I had
to work a second job to pay the vet bills, and just about lost my mind.
Sleep was not something on my schedule, and the volunteers were becoming
just as exhausted as I was.  This is one of the reasons why I no longer
take in private surrenders, and only rescue CA confiscates and
emergencies.
 
I used to be against saying no, now I'm for it.
 
Here's the reality:
 
As long as people buy from pet stores, there is a demand.
 
As long as that demand exists, the farms will supply.
 
And as long as this pattern continues, shelters will be overwhelmed with
ill and unwanted ferrets.  The shelter moms and dads will spend thousands
every month on health care, while Marshall farms will make millions off
their inbred stock.
 
What is wrong with our society?
 
I get dozens of phone calls of people wanting to adopt.  With each phone
call I explain why they shouldn't buy from petstores.  If they would
just be patient for a week or two, I'll find them a perfect ferret.
 
What do the people do?  Go to a petstore.
 
Currently there are 5 petstores that I'm aware of in the Reno area that
sells ferrets.  All of which are currently sold out.  I do know that
during Hot August nights, one petstore sold 14 ferrets in one day.  I'm
assuming this was from the traffic of all the visitors from CA, where
ferrets can not be purchased in pet stores.
 
I read stories all the time of how someone just couldn't resist that
cute little sad face at the petstore, and they just had to buy it.  Yet
another supporter of Marshall farms, while shelters are overwhelmed.
 
We've pretty much proven that a big cause of adrenal disease is early
spay and neuter, yet we still buy at petstores.
 
Many of the other cancers are caused by inbreeding, and we still buy from
petstores.
 
What's wrong with us???
 
Everytime you buy that cute ferret, that you just can't resist, you are
supporting whatever farm they come from.  Four out of six ferrets will
end up in a shelter, because the owner can't afford the adrenal surgery,
or they don't know how to train it, or it's a biter, or whatever reason.
 
Yet, we still buy from petstores.
 
If you really want to make a difference for the shelters, besides
donating the needy funds for the vet bills, food and supplies, you
can help by educating the public.
 
If your local shelter does not hold educational events, become a
volunteer and start.  Contact me off list if you want more info on
how to.
 
If you're at the petstore and you see someone buying a ferret, discourage
them, tell them there's millions of homeless ferrets, some older, some
younger, some already had their adrenal surgeries, some are waiting.
Educate them how high maintenance a ferret is, it's not like the movie
"Along Came Polly".  Their ferret WILL destroy their carpet, and their
plants, and will only use the litter box 70% of the time.  And you can't
feed it cheap cat food, and it does have to go the vet on a regular
basis, and chances are, it will come down with some kind of cancer
before it's six years old.
 
Shelter moms and dads spend their time taking care of the ferrets, they
don't have time to hit the petstores and set up educational booths, they
don't have time to do it all.  So if you don't want to clean poop, but
want to make a difference, this is a good way to help.  It makes a world
of difference.
 
October
www.renoferrets.org
[Posted in FML issue 4982]