>As such a largely popular domestic pet this would make sense for the
>funded shelters to take them in.  While there are some smaller dog and
>cat shelters for which this may not work, the Humane Socities (HS) and
>the Society Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) throughout the
>country should be able to handle this training and educating throughout
>all their locations.
 
I have to step in here for where I am -- I am on the board of the NW LA
Humane Society here in Shreveport, Louisiana.  We are not funded by
anyone so we are all volunteers -- we rely on donations of course.
 
What some places do such as what one sees on Animal Planet Channel is not
like everywhere -- and we are not with the HSUS as we get no funding from
them -- we do only dogs and cats, but with Katrina and Rita, we have done
more than that.  Being a ferret owner, Samantha and I begun the Frazzled
Ferrets Organization and I have the ferrets at my home.  We are no part
of the NW LA Humane Society so when they get a call about the ferrets and
I am not in the office, the refer the call to me.  I have the Katrina
ferrets that made it up here to me.  We are getting ready to get more in
from TX and my home is the first home they come to.  They are then vetted
and whatever else is needed before they will go to a foster home and then
adopted.  We at the NW LA Humane Society do not have a building to speak
of.  We have a temp building at the moment as we still have the dogs and
cats of Katrina -- when they are all adopted then we will close the
building.  We foster in our homes as we do not have the funding for a
building.  Now if anyone wants to donate one to us I know it would be
greatly appreciated!!  LOL!!!!
 
So my point is, not all the humane societies are privately funded and
have buildings -- and the monies that are donated to the HSUS stay
there -- they do not trickle down to the other HS of wherever like us --
we rely on us to do what has to be done.  Granted we got funding for the
hurricanes, but not other times.  If someone decides to surrender a
ferret, the go to the parish pound (LA has parishes and not counties),
and their fate is almost sealed.  Now the pounds know about the Frazzled
Ferrets so they contact us and the ferret's fate is a much better one.
 
The ferrets that I have for the organization go with me to my office in
the temp building everyday that I am there so they get their interaction
with many people and they get their exercise.
 
Just letting others know that not all places are like on Animal precinct
or Animal Cops on Animal Planet!!!
 
Thanks and hugs,
Nancy in Louisiana and director of Frazzled Ferrets  Organization
[Posted in FML issue 5140]