>but what proportion of rescues are actually "purchases?"
 
Very few ferret shelters will "buy" a ferret from someone giving up one.  I
have had to "buy" a ferret maybe twice a year.  I suggest most shelters
explain that it would cost $25 for an ad, then they have to answer the phone
and stay home to show the ferret, and hope they can figure out who a good
adopter is.
 
My exceptions were the person who bought the kit a week or two ago, then
found out they couldn't have it in DC or the landlord didn't include ferrets
as acceptable pets and the people just bought a kit.  I then paid no more
than $50 for the kit, because I have to bring it up on it's next shot and
hope that the people cared for it properly because my 30 day guarantee still
stands.
 
I abhor pet shop rescues - People who buy a ferret from a pet shop because
they feel sorry for it.  All that tells the pet shop is that they can cage
an animal any way they want and some sucker will have a bleeding heart and
buy it.  Call Animal Control and REPORT the place!
 
Shelters charge a fee to help make ends meet.  STAR* does a survey every
year to see what the "fees" are around the country, and new shelters can use
this data to set up their fee schedule.  don't think of it as an adoption
fee, think of it as a minimum donation to the running of the shelter.
[Posted in FML issue 1805]