A year ago I became a foster mom for the first time for a local ferret
shelter. I had five ferrets of my own at the time, and felt I had plenty
of room to take more.
And more came.
A year later and I have a home filled with 15 ferrets and 5 fosters...
and I am one happy camper.
You see, the joy of knowing that I have made a difference in the lives of
just a few ferrets means the world to me. There's definitely more poop to
pick up as there are more accidents than there were before, and there's
more plant dirt to sweep and more stuff gets broken. I take it in stride
for I live with ferrets...
But the joy I feel in knowing that these guys will never be abused again,
never left alone to suffer, never left hungry or without food, or that they
will never go without medical care floats me above any chores or hard work
I have to do on their behalf.
These little guys are worth their weight in gold and there is nothing or
nobody that could convince me otherwise. Their time spent with me is
precious, even if it means they will only be with me a few hours, a few
days or a few months. There is not one of them that I would ever turn
away. For my promise to them is to be their protector, their advocate and
their defender. If the shelter I volunteered for ever considered turning
over their no-kill policy and ended up losing their compassion by looking
at dollar figures only, I would have to walk away from them and continue
my efforts without them.
These little guys have no voice of their own... we are the only hope most
of them will ever have. And keeping this in mind, how could I, in any good
conscience, turn away one in need because the money in the account was too
low, or that this little creature was too old to be adoptable? I simply
could not...
Anyone who gets into the "business" of running a shelter must realize that
compassion is the only thing that helps to get us through the hard days...
the days of desperation... the days of fear that there will be no money
left to help any more. But rewards come in many different ways: the first
little dance, no longer biting hard or at all, having strength to stand
without falling over, eating on their own, a new growth of hair on a very
bald little body... These are the rewards that make it all worth while.
I'm a big advocate of positive thinking. If you believe you can do it,
then you will accomplish what ever you put your mind to. And I am a big
believer in faith, and my heart is filled with faith...
...and faith will move mountains.
Betty and Her Blur O'Fur
for the love of ferrets...
Missing Mandy... our little lioness.
[Posted in FML issue 3211]
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