Hi Everyone,
 
I have been following with interest the discussion on donating to shelters
and any responses, or lack of, from them.
 
Over the past year or so I have given to several shelters around the country.
Also through my association with the Houston Area Ferret Association I worked
with 3 shelters in that area.  All the people I have dealt with are extremely
busy taking care of the ferrets in their care.  That always comes first, even
before personal things sometimes.
 
I was closely involved when Patricia Curtis of Ferrets First Shelter near
Dallas stepped in to help rescue White Fang.  After she posted about the
problem I sent a donation.  I was also the one that enlisted Bob Church's
help in bringing the ferret down from Canada.  Because of this I kept in
fairly close phone contact with Patricia through out the entire rescue.
 
Patricia was overwhelmed by the response she got from all the FML family.
She told me at the time that she received between 80-90 mail donations from
everyone and was getting between 50-100 e-mail messages a day.  She
desperately tried to keep up with responses but it just wasn't possible.
She worked long and hard and there were many complications in White Fang's
rescue.  She finally gave her thanks through posts on the FML.  They may not
have been extremely personal but they were sincere.
 
I know all shelter owners would love to respond to every samaritan that
sends in donations of any kind.  But you have to take into account that any
time writing letters of thanks is time away from fuzzy care.  Right now
Ferrets First has 37 ferrets in the shelter and Patricia takes care of them
all by herself.  It is a full time job and one I am very grateful that
people like her are willing to do.  It is not something I could do.
 
So please don't let any lack of response turn you away from donating to
shelters.  Charity should be from the heart and not from a need of being
thanked.
 
Margaret Zick
[Posted in FML issue 1781]