Hi.
 
I have a couple of things to mention, however, neither one is very
positive.
 
I had a meeting with my attorney and he is drawing up the paperwork to
abolish my 501(c)(3) status so that I can permanently close Cloud Nine
Ferrets.  Since Judy left the shelter, I have been unable to find a new
shelter partner, and after eight years, I am quite certain I cannot
operate the shelter alone.  I have stopped taking in surrenders and have
five shelter ferrets, only one of which is really adoptable.  (One pair
is 5 years old and I think are "too old" for most people to be interested
in adopting.  The other pair is 3 years old and the male, Clyde, has
insulinoma.  He's doing well since his surgery...so far.  His cagemate,
Bonnie, is the skittish kind and I am not sure how she will react once
Clyde passes on the the bridge.  My one single, Rascal, is a real
sweetheart but went through a severe biting stage after coming to the
shelter; it was probably a form of shelter shock, but she is fine now.)
 
If any of you maintain shelter databases, please remove me.  On a good
note, Michelle Smith, who lives in Florence, Alabama (about 1.5 hours
west of me),is operating a shelter.  At last count, I think she had 25
ferrets.  I have permission to post this information, so I thought I
would pass it along.  Her phone number is (256) 767-0875 and her email
address is [log in to unmask]  At the moment, I cannot recall the name
of the shelter.
 
About Valerie's rejection from the military: I am sorry to hear that.  I
am sure she is not very happy about being rejected.  Now she wants to see
if she can get one of her ferrets, Buckie, returned to her.
 
It sounds like Buckie is going through the normal "shelter shock" type of
behavior that some ferrets exhibit.  I do not think, however, that she
has the right to ask for Buckie back just because she wants him to return
to her house.  It was her decision to give up the ferrets and now she
must live with her decisions.  She approached me about possibily adopting
from me EVEN AFTER she knew there was a possibility of going into the
military and I turned her down.  I have told her in a couple of private
emails that she has a big heart but I could not adopt to her knowing that
there was a possibility of her going into the military.  My reasoning was
that there would then be the possibility of me getting my own ferrets
back.  Whereas I would not be totally crushed by getting my ferrets back,
that is not what shelters are here to do; they are in existance to find
new PERMANENT homes for homeless ferrets (ok, and a few other things like
providing a permament home for the terminally ill, and other things.)
 
I am posting this publicly so that any newbies to the list who may be
thinking about getting ferrets (or dogs, cats, gerbils, etc, etc.) will
do some thinking before getting them.
 
I am sorry for Valerie's situation.  I'm sure it was difficult for her to
give up her ferrets.  However, that was her decision.  Now, a new family
has the ferrets and it would be just as difficult for them to now be
asked to give up Buckie just because Valerie wants him back.
 
 
-Mark Zmyewski, President (for a little while longer)
 Cloud Nine Ferrets, Inc.
 Huntsville, Alabama
[Posted in FML issue 4070]