I've been following the recent discussions regarding overcrowded shelters
and while I agree in principal with the idea of acting as a placement
service for people who can no longer keep, or who no longer want their
ferrets, I find that this idea conflicts with an existing shelters own
needs to find homes for the ferrets under their care.  To me a shelter and
a placement service are not the same thing.
 
Our society does not have a free standing shelter.  Surrendered ferrets are
fostered within our members homes.  Its rare for any one foster home to
have more than 6 ferrets in residence (including those owned by the member)
so our fosters receive a lot of attention, exercise and love.  Barring
unforeseen circumstances surrenders remain in a single foster home until
they are adopted.
 
We have approx. 34 ferrets under our care at the moment.  Problems we are
facing are..  1) We are running out of foster homes.  2) We recognize that
our funding is limited and do not want to create a situation where we
cannot financially support those ferrets under our care and 3) There don't
seem to be enough people wanting to adopt.  Because of items 1 & 2 we have
made the decision not to accept any more surrenders but have agreed to
maintain a waiting list where ferrets would be accepted on a case by case
basis as space becomes available.
 
1) People calling in are advised that we will contact them as foster homes
becomes available.  Those that cannot wait are referred to other animal
rescues groups or to the SPCA (much as that pains us) or we suggest that
they try running an ad in the paper.  We do not offer to find homes for
their ferrets.
 
2) We are proud of the fact that, so far at least, we have been able to pay
our way financially and have not had to make any ferret wait for medical
treatment nor use credit with our vets.  Our expenses are covered through
membership fees, adoption fees, product sales, donations, and fundraisers.
We know how precarious this statement is and how easily it can change which
is one of the reasons why the decision to not accept any more surrenders
was made.  Having to say NO to any fuzzy in need is one of the hardest
things we have had to do, yet do it we must.  In order to remain a strong
we have to recognize that we have limits too and can only do so much.  The
saying "Sacrifice the few to save the many" seems to fit, though its a
statement I personally hate and have argued against many times!
 
3) Our primary focus at this time is to find homes for those ferrets under
our care.  Easier said then done!  Despite advertising we receive few calls
from people wanting to adopt and those that do call want babies or young
single ferrets.  The average surrender age in our society is between 2-5
years and the majority of the surrenders are bonded pairs.
 
Pam's comments regarding placement services make sense to me as a separate
entity or as an alternative to a fostering or permanent sheltering system,
but how can you ask an existing shelter to overlook its own fosters and
their need for permanent homes in favour of ferrets who are not within
their system.  Separate placement or referral agencies (similar to adoption
agencies), dedicated exclusively to finding new homes for ferrets (shelter
or otherwise), is a wonderful idea and would actually compliment the
shelters by helping to reduce their burden.  Most shelters are overworked
as it is in simply caring for the ferrets they have and in trying to keep
their heads above water financially.  Finding homes for those ferrets is
another full time job on top of that.  Perhaps the shelters, in return for
such a service, could pay a percentage of their adoption fees to these
agencies.
 
Barbara Gustafson
Alberta Ferret Society
President
[Posted in FML issue 2786]