I thought I would write to you all about Sue Thomas and the Okeechobee
Ferret Rescue.  I've visited many shelters in the last 7 years - but this
one was quite unique and it is not very often you actually get to see
something so different.
 
Sue Thomas's Okeechobee Ferret Rescue and shelter is approximately 13 miles
west of the town of Okeechobee - it is in the middle of NOWHERE.  Her double
wide trailer sits on 5 acres of fenced in land.  As you from the road to the
driveway you notice that all 5 acres of grass are cut (Sue does this
herself).  As you get to the house there are two small waterfall ponds
overcrowded with plants and weeds but you can tell Sue is trying slowly but
surely to repair the ponds.  In these ponds are GIANT GOLDFISH.  Sue tells
me that when she got the property a year ago the ponds were in more
overgrown - but she feel she is making head way.
 
As you approach the porch area you see 8 Cats all on the enclosed porch.
Sue informs me that 6 of the cats are due to be spayed this week (the mother
of the cats was one of Sue's abuse rescue's).  The cat must stay on the
porch this week because the 4 Wild Turkeys have just hatched 8 Chicks.
 
Inside her home was astounding, Sue, her daughter and granddaughter share
the home with 40 ferrets (all cages are immaculately clean), 2 Ground Hogs,
2 Baby Ducks, and 1 Wild Turkey Chick who had been hurt.  I am talking
CLEAN - gosh I've got to take lessons on how to take care of ferrets while
keeping you house CLEAN.  Heck my ferrets and cages are always clean -my
house however is always in need of vacuuming, dusting, washing etc.
 
I had promised to show Sue how to groom and saddle the Minature Horse.  He
is another rescue (he had been attacked by a pack of dogs).  He is doing
very well but is still startled by and quick movement.
 
The Wild Turkey chicks also had to be counted to make sure the little 2 day
old chick were all there and not lost or hurt (the one inside the house had
gotten stuck trying to run from something and Sue had an appointment for him
at the vet for Monday).  So we followed baby wild Turkey's around trying to
count them.
 
Back in the house Sue showed me all the ferrets and their play rooms - this
is a happy ferret group and sue takes excellent care of them.
 
I dropped off the items I had brought for Mary Ann and headed back to Vero
Beach.
 
Considering that Sue Thomas only income is her disability I just don't see
how she does what she does.  While I had been with her she told me she had
just purchased two ferrets from a pet store where the owner kept them in a
storage room that was not air conditioned.  When she resuced them they were
suffering from Heat Exhaustion!  How the heck does this woman do it?  Next
time I'll ask
 
One last thing.  Sue has these five fenced in acres.  She has agreed to
volunteer her land as a temporary housing area for large animals being
evaucated from another area due to an impending Hurricane or after a
Hurricane or a tornada has struck.  I notifed the D.A.R.T. Team and they
are thrilled that Sue will let them use her property during and emergency.
 
Well FMLer's that's my observation - prehaps you too have seen a Shelter
like Sue's or know of someone like Sue.  I'm sure other FMLer's have stories
to tell.  Please if you do send them to the FML - let us recognize our
people who give everything for the Children of Fur, Feathers, Scales,
Shells, and Hooves - they are truly MIRACLES.
 
Chere McCoy
Director, Ferret Friends Disaster Response International
[Posted in FML issue 2286]