Hi,
 
I don't know if anyone has run into this before or not, but I need
help/advise. (even if it is to mind my own business).
 
My 15 y/o daughter has a friend who is 16-17 y/o.  The kid lives in an
abusive home.  (yes, trying to remedy this).  Problem is, she WANTS
ferrets.  She has been offered two with a large cage etc for a reasonable
price and is trying to convince her dad to let her have them.  She is the
most irresponsible person/child I've met in a long time.  She has had
several cats and dogs in the few years I've known her and she tends to
love and care for them for a short time and then they become "outside"
pets.  She won't say where she is getting these animals from because she
knows I don't want her to have them.  I have explained to her the amount
of work and money it takes to care for a single ferret, let alone double
that, for two.  I've tried to explain that ferrets are not, nor can they
ever be, "outdoor" pets.  (most of her cats/dogs have been run over or
ran away).  I've talked till I'm blue in the face and she is still
determined to have these animals.  Her Dad will let her have anything she
wants, just so she stops complaining about the abuse (which continues),
so he doesn't go to jail.
 
I'm really upset by this and don't know how to stop her from taking in
these ferrets.  All I can do is contact the two local shelters and tell
them about her.  But I don't know if I can legally give her name out,
or if I could be charged with slander or something.  If worse comes to
worse, and she does adopt these fuzzies, I will support and help her as
well as I can.  I will be seeing her today (Saturday) and plan to take
her some printouts and information.  I also plan to give her the address
for the FML and advise her to do "A LOT" of research before taking these
guys in.  I have told her to get the "ferrets for dummies" book and will
loan her my doggeard copy if she doesn't get one of her own.  In other
words, I will support the ferrets if she ends up with them.  (I will
probably end up with them with-in a year anyway!).
 
Any advise would be much appreciated.  Or, if I'm butting in where I
don't belong, tell me.  I do tend to stick my nose in where it doesn't
belong, as I find it hard to tell the difference between my business
and not my business.  (been hanging out with ferrets too much?)
 
Shelley
[Posted in FML issue 4221]