Q:"I am just starting a shelter and remember some comments you once made
about bad ones.  What can I do to make sure my shelter doesn't become a
bad one?  I just want to help ferrets."
 
A: Ah help ferrets too....to the raisins....and nutrical....and...
 
1) Closely adhere to all local and state legal requirements and willingly
   imbrace inspections.
 
2) Join Pam Troutman's STAR ferrets and pay close attention to her
   suggestions.
 
 3) Subscribe to "Animal Shelter," a journal dedicated to all shelters.  It
   costs less than $10 a year and has lots of good hints and advice.
 
4) Decide who will be paying the bills, set a budget, and stick with it.
   Now, this can be hard, especially in cases where "just one more" takes
   place. See #5.
 
5) Adopt out the ferrets. A shelter is just that, a temporary home, not a
   way for people to get cheap ferrets or create large collections.
   Admitedly, some animals are hard to adopt out, but most can be found
   homes pretty easily.  I know you love them, but so can other people--
   educate them up to your standards instead to turning them away because
   you don't think they are as good care providers as you.
 
6) Foster those ferrets that can't be adopted out. The real difference
   between adoption and fostering is ferret ownership, and some people
   who won't *own* a sick pet will be happy to foster one.  Go figure.
   Oh yeah....don't charge for a foster placements.
 
7) Charge for your ferret adoptions. Nothing creates value more than cost.
 
8) Create an environment that stimulates the ferret's physical and mental
   abilities.  If you don't have time to give each ferret a chance to play
   twice (or more) a day, you have too many ferrets to care for.  It is
   simply unfair to the ferrets; a lack of an enriched environment is a
   real form of animal cruelty in intelligent animals.  Lock yourself in an
   empty bathroom except for one hour a day and you'll understand exactly
   what I mean.  Throw those magazines out the door first.  No radio.  No
   TV.  You can watch and listen to stuff going on outside, but no
   interaction.
 
9) Keep your personal ferrets and finances separate from the shelter's
   ferrets and finances.  Nothing angers a volunteer more than the
   perception they taking care of or paying for your ferrets instead of the
   ones in the shelter.  House them separately and minimize that conflict
   of interest.
 
10) Try to create a local club that will take on some of the chores and
    financial aspects of the shelter.  This means you may not always be in
    charge and you might have to listen to other people who disagree with
    you.  The question is, are you sheltering for the ferrets or for your
    ego?  You don't always need to get the last word, you don't always have
    to be right, and you don't always have to win.  Be flexible, be
    understanding, and above all, treat those who help you, or come to you
    for help, as humanely as your ferrets.  You'll get more because of
    it--more help, more money, more volunteers, more adoptions.
 
11) Remember the 80/20 rule and NEVER expect more. The 80/20 rule says 80%
   of the work is done by 20% of the people.  If you are running a shelter,
   *EXPECT* you will be paying 80% of the bills, doing 80% of the work and
   losing 80% of the sleep.  Expect it, accept it, get over it, and you
   will be better capable of accepting the work load you are getting
   yourself into.  If you can't accept it, foster instead of shelter.
 
12) Most important of all, anyone can collect ferrets in the name of
   sheltering; all you need is a bunch of cages and some local flyers.
   What is hard is *sheltering*, which means there is an understanding that
   your job is not HOUSING ferrets, but rather FINDING HOMES for ferrets.
   Understand the difference?  The occassional long-term occupant ferret
   (shelter mascot) cannot be helped and should be expected, but most of
   your ferrets should be considered to be in a revolving door.
 
13) Write this down. Repeat it every day. "It is better to be one of a few
    in an adequate home than to be one of the anonymous many in a great
    shelter." Ferrets deserve nice homes, and if you want to run a shelter,
    then understand your job is not *JUST* rescues and rehabs, but also
    placements into new homes with loving people.
 
Bob C and 10 Mo' Fertastic Furry Friends (Missing Sandi)
[Posted in FML issue 2600]