>I am still trying to find a way to get into the shelter, I may have a
>"spy" go there.  Believe me, I will keep trying.
 
This cracked me up.  I did this too!
 
I once got into a dispute over the care (actually, severe lack thereof)
of the ferrets in a "shelter".  The "shelter" had 2 ferrets that had been
born at the "shelter" but could never be adopted because they bit so badly.
They languished at the "shelter" for 4 full years.  The shelter operator
wouldn't adopt them to me out of spite.
 
I had my girlfriend educate her sister about ferrets.  My girlfriend had
her own spoiled rotten ferrets so the sister knew something about them.
On appointed day, sister made her appointed visit to the "shelter".
 
I had told sister where the ferrets were located.  The shelter operator
took her throughout the shelter showing her all the nice ferrets.  As she
passed the "bad" ferrets, the operator said they were unadoptable.  The
sister made the rounds and came back to the unadoptables.  She asked to
see them and carefully held them so she wouldn't get bitten.  The shelter
operator gave the ferrets to the sister but the sister used $40 of my money
to give the operator a "donation" so there were no disputes over
non-payment later.  I had been ready to pay up to $120 so this was a
bargain!
 
The sister promptly delivered them to my girlfriend for safe keeping out of
state until I could bring them to my house.  The ferrets had ear mites so
badly that they didn't want anyone to come close to their ears.  And they
had fleas.  My girlfriend cleaned them up and by the end of the day, I got
the first email saying that the ferrets showed promises of being good kids.
This continued over the next several weeks.  One email included a reference
to "falling in love".
 
My girlfriend didn't work outside the home, so she got to spend lots of
time with the girls.  With sheer patience and LOVE, my girlfriend earned
the trust of the ferrets.  Three weeks after liberation day, I was ready to
take custody of my girls.  My girlfriend called me.  "Uh, you know, I've
really fallen for them and I don't get bit very often anymore.  Would you
reconsider???"
 
To end a long story, the girls are happily living in a far distant state so
I don't get to see them anymore.  I do get photo updates.  But they are
living the life of luxury in their remaining years on this planet.  The
girls are both sweethearts.  All it took was a person who loves ferrets and
has a great deal of patience to end their neglect and allow the girls to
learn to trust humans again.
 
[AL]
[Posted in FML issue 3063]