It's way past time to let everyone know how things turned out for the 47
ferrets confiscated in Missouri last Fall.  Actually 48 ferrets were
turned over to us from Wayside Waifs Animal Shelter the day after
Thanksgiving.  The vet who had examined all of them, someone with quite a
bit of ferret experience, added one to the list that had been brought to
her for euthanasia (family couldn't, or didn't want to, bear the expense
of adrenal surgery).  Many thanks to Patty Myer and Edwina Smith who spent
several hours on Thanksgiving day helping prepare the shelter.  More
thanks to Pamela Stubbs who helped me pick up the entire crew on friday.
We ended up reconfiguring the shelter in many ways as the gang decided for
themselves who wanted to bunk with who.  They brought our total census to
close to 90, more foundlings than we have ever had here.
 
Many thanks also to the ferret guy, who sent donated Mazuri food, and to
dear Troylynn and Linda, who delivered the food, and many cases more for
the shelters and people that had offered to take some of the foundlings.
Special thanks to Debbie Schwering, and her teenaged crew, who arrived on
Sunday to transport 22 foundlings to points north.  You should have seen
us scanning and double checking everyone's micro chip numbers as we
bundled excited ferts into Debbie's van.  Debbie then delivered assorted
pairs to families in Iowa, including Apryl Lucius who did some of our ADV
testing (all negative).  More special thanks to Julie Fossa who met Debbie
and took 10 of the 28 to her shelter in Ohio.  I delivered one last pair
to a nice family in New Mexico as I was traveling there for Christmas.
 
Of those remaining at our shelter all but 8 have found homes.  They had
a total of 11 surgeries, including neuter/spays and adrenal tumors, and
there are a couple of superficial tumors yet to be removed.  Our vet,
Dr. Dean Kolich, has been extremely good to us, although I think he was
surprised by the number we brought him.  We suffered one death post
adrenal surgery but all in all they were a hardy bunch and did very well.
Although my policy is never to keep a foundling I did decide to have a
huge, cinnamon/panda (?), fellow vasectomized.  Our current V-hob,
Alexander-The-Great, was getting old and needed adrenal surgery and to be
neutered.  Tamerlaine-The-Big-Guy now happily bears the shelter's V-hob
mantle.
 
A note to the person who wonders why shelters tend to keep rather than
foster some foundlings: we have several that would probably love to go
home with you.  So call me.  There aren't many people who are willing to
take on q 4 hour feedings and multiple vet bills so the ferrets that need
these things tend to stay with us.  (We do place many ferrets for foster
and our contract specifies that we maintain responsibility for making
major veterinary decisions and for paying major vet bills.) We also have
available a naughty little girl, Hannah Belle, who is far too smart,
easily bored, and teaches the new ferrets how to get away with murder.
Troy Lynn thinks she wants this one.  We are, however, requiring
acceptable hemoglobin/hematocrit values before allowing her to take Hannah
home.  TL's clotting times must also be better than average.  So, like I
said, call me.
 
Looking forward to seeing many of you in Las Vegas.
 
Bobbi McC., Shelter Directress and Benign Despot
[Posted in FML issue 3672]