[Moderator's note: This post was held for a few days in order to give
TinyPrints a chance to respond.  That response, which was initially
quite detailed, was later changed to the simple version, and follows
this post.  BIG]
 
I'm new to the list, although I have been reading the posts for quite
awhile thanks to my roommate.  We (my roommate and I) enjoy the ferret
tips and we love to support the shelters, we have made several purchases
to help out those in need.
 
I am also thinking of adopting 2 ferrets from a breeder, so I have been
researching different websites, which is where I saw the TinyPrints
website.  I was checking out your nursery, with your 9 kits born on
5/4.......they are very cute, when it dawned on me that you have been
posting for a lot of financial help with your shelter.  You have 9
adoptables listed on your web, is that all??  I see in this last post
that you have 10 names as shelter ferrets, are there more not on the web?
 
I also see on your web that people can sponsor a ferret for $7.00/month
and that 2 of the adoptables are sponsored for 6 months.  You only have
1 ferret listed that needs Lupron, my ferret was adrenal so I know all
about that cost, but you only have the 1 getting the shot each month?
This is the ferret that needs the surgery then?  And 1 ferret has
insolinoma, so I assume that he is on Pred, not that costly.  What I
am getting at here is that your expenses do not seem that out of the
ordinary, certainly not when compared to other shelters, yet you are
almost daily asking for money, am I missing something here?  I don't mind
helping and supporting, but I want my money to go to where it is going
to help out the most.
 
In your last post you thanked everyone for their donations, then said
that you take the ferrets out on a boat????  That's kind of a slap in
the face to other shelters that are caring for more than 9 or 10 ferrets.
On your website you introduce everyone to your personal bunch of 17.....
you have more personal ferrets than shelter kids, where are our donations
really going??  And on top of that you breed dogs and have 2 litters
coming in this month and had 1 the end of April.  And on your link to
the dog breeding you go into how a bounced check cost you so much money
that you don't accept checks anymore.  If you are so very strapped
financially, how can you afford the vet care for 3 litters of puppies and
9 kits??  It just seems to some of us out here that the shelter is
probably the least expensive thing that you deal with, so why the
constant poking for money??  Unless you use the donations for more than
just "shelter" expenses.  If people really read your websites I think
several red flags are being waived into the legitimacy of your "shelter".
Please correct me if I am missing something here, but it seems that the
donations you are getting are more than adequate to care for the 10
shelter ferrets in your care.
 
G. Reed
[Posted in FML issue 4516]