Hi Everyone,
 
I wanted to ask everyone to help out some very good folks on the fml.  They
posted yesterday about needing some help and I know that they do not often
ask for help, even when needed.
 
Kurt and Sara Petersen of the F.U.R.R.Y. Shelter in St. Louis.
 
I know these folks.  They are really good people who spend most of their
lives doing work for ferrets.  Seriously.  They work endlessly to help
out ferrets in need.  Some of the things they do are:
 
*Do regular ferret adoption days around the St. Louis area.
*Travel to other states to rescue or adopt out ferrets to good homes.  They
 have been to Kansas, Arkansas, Virginia, Illinois and of course Missouri.
 They have met folks at my house for adoption twice now.  They have set up
 transport and helped to find homes in Texas for ferrets.
*They are happy to work with anyone and keep in contact with all kinds of
 folks.  And put up with me.  What more can I say?
*Publish a newsletter.
*Have a website up (http://www.furryferrets.org/)
*Run a club, and hold things like picnics for the members and their ferrets.
*And until now, have been blessed with being able to stay up with the vet
 bills, *without* carrying a balance constantly.
 
This last has changed since they took in, what 15 or more?, ferrets from
the nasty place that got closed down in Illinois.  That's right folks,
another state.  ALL of these ferrets were whole and some were pregnant.
None were socialized.  These were not the typical cases you get in at a
shelter.
 
These ferrets had spent their lives in small small cages, hanging from the
ceiling of a shed in the guy's backyard.  They had no blankets, bedding or
litter boxes.  Their droppings simply fell to the floor for the dogs and
chickens to walk on.
 
They have worked hard to find homes and are doing a great job.  I can tell
you this from dealing with Sugar Magnolia.  She thinks two dimensionally,
never looks up or knows how to climb.  She can't navigate ramps in the
cages yet.  She slept in a litter box until recently.  She doesn't dance,
or understand how to play.  She flinches badly when I reach for her.  If
I say no too loudly, she flinches.  She does not understand how to even
interact normally with the other ferrets.  She has never been socialized
to ferrets properly, let alone humans.  She has never trusted anything or
anyone I am afraid.  She bites.  What a surprise.
 
Please, help out the Petersen's.  Even the shelter operators in Houston are
in awe of all the tireless work they do.  Sara stays home now to run the
shelter.  They carry their cell phone with them everywhere so they can be
on call for shelter calls.  I once got them by accident on vacation in
Oregon at a restaurant.
 
They don't take time off.  They love their ferrets, and the shelter kids
too.  They do everything they can do to help.
 
I think we should too.  Yep, I gave them some extra when I adopted Sugar.
And I know if I can spare some right now, everyone else can too.  If you
don't feel comfortable sending money directly to them (which btw is a
charitable contribution, they are a big time charity now <G>) send them
some donations to the vet's they listed in yesterday's fml.
 
Trust me, the money will be well used.
 
Mo' Maggie and her Eternally Grateful Pack of Nuts
K & S-- Pooh Bear, Treska, Sugar, William and Harry all say hi!
[Posted in FML issue 3145]