You posted a very interesting post. This is one of the examples I stay
away from chat groups, boards, ect. I don't have time to be involved
when there are better things to do than attack. I know it isn't always
like this, but I read a lot of it. I find it very interesting that you
say what you say. You have never met me, I have never met you, you have
never been to my shelter and I have never talked with you about my
shelter. But you make judgment's, assumptions and post these things?
One would do the research I would think before going to this level. If
you have not heard, read or seen from my web sight, I am a large scale
shelter. I live in an area where yes, there are a lot of ferrets that
come in around these parts. I have been running my shelter for a good
period of time where word gets around. People, humane societies, pet
stores or what ever else know who I am and what I do. Therefore,
knowing where to take a ferret. One example through this mess going on,
I adopted 8 ferrets to homes and 4 came in the same week. If you don't
know, this is how a shelter operates. Ferrets come in, ferrets go out
to be to the point. Numbers can get high at times, in my case having
well over a hundred during the summer time is normal for me.
unfortunately the economy is not good at this time and more have been
coming in. Just 8 weeks ago I had over 130, it could have been worse in
the evacuation day of these guys. I also do not have a limit, If they
need to come to the shelter, I take them in. Even if they are sick and
unhealthy needing medical attention. I have never turn away a ferret.
Another note is the fact I do not use foster homes but for unadoptables
such as terminally ill that need a forever home. All ferrets are here
at the shelter, all ferrets except those few who are in foster homes.
Another note is yes I do care for all of them. Throughout the years
people have visited me from other shelters and I do belong to the PFSN
(Pacific Ferret Shelter Network) in which has strict guidelines to be
met. My shelter has been inspected more then once by them, also I have
had visits from different animal control officers. Not to mention
Department of Fish and Game. I have nothing to hide at any time, if I
did my pictures would not be plastered on my web sight to see. My life
is consumed by these guys, it always has been since I was 10 years old
and I had my first 3 albinos. I work, sure. I go to school, sure. I
find and make ways to run my shelter. I'm not going to tell anyone its
easy or sugar coat it. There are days I come home and say "Crap I got
to do water bottles today". I'm tired sometimes and there are times I
could run away from all the poop. No to mention the financial part it
thats overwhelming. I deal with some people who are not pleasant, I see
abuse, death and try to educate some who can't be educated. It sucks,
but in the end I love what I do and I love my ferrets. To me despite
some of the down falls, there are many good things that come out of it.
I can't remember who sent it to me, but it was a poem about making a
difference for one. Maybe you can't do it for all the ferrets, but it
matters with the ones that you do make a difference for. I have had
many tell me to close, don't do it anymore when times are not good and
money is short. I have worked many jobs at one time, not to mention
some jobs that were horrible. I filed bankruptcy 4 years ago, I admit
it. I have sold my toys over years (my jet skis, 2 Quads, ect), stuff
in my house. All for the shelter and the ferrets. My days off consist
of cleaning, before work and after work too. You can do it. Most maybe
would not do it. I say sometimes and others also do too, Luckily I'm
young at the moment.
I have now gone into more than I wanted in this post. I probably could
have came back and got angry with hate words. I have learned not to
care about nonsense and the rambling of people who don't know what
they are talking about. In other words making judgment's without facts
first. Ferrets are well taken care of here and get out on a regular
basis. I do have requirements before adoption and with every shelter we
have our owns ways. I am kinda one person show, I have volunteers most
the time but not all the time. One of the reasons I don't have a "fund
raiser coordinator" or can go out and "solicitate donations" all the
time is because I am here doing the physical part of cleaning, caring,
taking in and adopting out. I had to reach out for real help for the
first time. I stood in the water a couple of weeks ago when this all
happened looking at everything and said "I can't do this alone or by
myself this time". Its hard. The numbers of ferrets here has nothing to
do with the fact you are presuming that "they are not getting adopted".
Even with the emotional and yet costly tragedy that just occurred, I'm
still here and fixing it. Thats all I can do. The last few days I have
had to really tell myself it will be ok. What I have heard from you is
the last thing I need to be dealing with at this moment. Please educate
yourself about someone first, it may help. This is also not a colony,
it is a ferret shelter. If you are this concerned, please come visit,
role up your sleeves and come volunteer to help the ferrets. I probably
won't have the desire, yet time neither to respond to anything else of
this subject to you. I do not waste time at the computer flaming
people.
Lacey Ruddell
Ferret City Shelter & Rescue
ferretcityshelter.org
[Posted in FML 6221]
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