Kelly
 
Your optimism is a great thing, hold onto it as long as you possibly can.
I'm willing to bet most rescuers......like me (though I don't officially
do ferret rescue, I'm involved in other rescue) started off feeling the
VERY same way you do.  The reality of the situation is we're only seeing
the tip of the iceberg as far as ferret rescue.  We could easily be
headed toward the same situation with ferrets as we are with cats in
this country.  Do you know how many cats are put down in a day in this
country.  In the month of June alone 722 cats were surrendered at the
Springfield, MA shelter, only 236 were adopted.  What do you suppose
happened to the other 400+?  How are rescuers and shelter personnel
supposed to stay optimistic with those numbers?????
 
I had to LOL at your statement:
>It doesn't make someone a bad person just because they want a nice house
>to live in.
 
Rescuers don't want everyone to live in dumps.  If a house and a person's
things are important to them that's fine but they shouldn't get a pet if
they feel their possessions are more valuable than the animal they bring
home.  By the same thought if someone's living situation is known to be
unstable they shouldn't get a pet.
 
At the same time I do agree that if someone is trying to place their own
pet and do it responsibly, it doesn't do any good to flame them.  Their
ALREADY taking on more responsibility than the many that just dump them
at shelters.  Behind EVERY human that gets flamed is a ferret (or other
pet) in need and flaming is NOT going to help that pet.  I abhor people
giving up their pets but I have friends that have had to, good people
that had their circumstances changed by fate.  They looked responsibly
for new homes for their pets, asked all of the right questions and cared
enough to look in places where educated informed ferret people may be.
You know poop happens, while I get very angry at those that clearly
could've avoided their situation (ie learned what was REALLY involved
in ferret) but we're all only human and we don't have 100% control.
Sometimes even those of us that learn and plan get a loop tossed in our
lives by someone else.
 
[IA]
[Posted in FML issue 3873]