Sunny Cook <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>but why do you have to foot the bill?  You would think that if they call
>you or Leanne to come get them that if the ferrets are ill that they
>would foot the medical bills.
 
Although many city/county shelters/humane societies are trying to become
no-kill they are in reality, "low-kill."  If a dog or cat comes in who
needs major medical treatment (or a ferret who needs adrenal surgery),
if the animal is "too old" to be adopted, or if a newborn litter of
puppies/kittens/etc are born at the shelter that animal is very
frequently euthanized.  Many "independent" small shelters, such as those
represented on the FML have made arrangements to take sick, old or new
born animals from the kill-shelters.  And because that's *our* choice
(established in our by-laws or other corporate documents), *we* foot
the bills.
 
Many humane society and animal control shelters (learning from us little
shelters), have set up their own foster care programs after watching us
little guys operate successfully with foster homes.  They've learned that
a foster care program allows them to house more animals than their own
physical shelter allows and helps to prevent euthanizing "adoptable"
animals.
 
>I just know that when they foster out cats and dogs they do take care
>and foot the bills for them.
 
All of the foster programs in the Seattle area only do this if the
cat/dog is "adoptable."  If an "adoptable" animal breaks a leg or needs
medical treatment then the shelter will foot the bills.  But if the
dog/cat is found to have cancer, liver failure or other major medical
problems (which make the animal "unadoptable",) they bring the animal
back to the shelter and euthanize him.  City/County Shelters/Humane
Societies are (with only a few exceptions) interested only in the
"adoptable" animal.
 
>I am sure that the shelters cannot continue to foot these bills. I know
>with the ferrets I have the cost is high and most of mine are not ill
>(YET). Can you imagine what the cost on medical is for these shelters?
 
Shelters can and do continue to foot the medical bills.  As seen on the
FML, shelters beg for money, hold fund raisers, auctions, raffles, garage
sales and many other fund raising functions.  We learn to beg.  We beg
our vet for extended credit, we beg our members & supporters to
contribute even more dollars.  Whether you are running a non-profit
organization for humans or animals, begging turns into your primary
occupation.  I'm not good at begging, so I established our shelter to
sell pet supplies in order to try to fund our rescue.  We are still
behind in our bills and have to beg, but perhaps not as much as some
others.
 
I cannot tell you how totally insulted and indignant I became when I read
the post from Betty <[log in to unmask]> who wrote:
 
>Is the shelter in trouble financially and if so, are they using the sale
>of this ferret to gain short term funds?  Free ferret = an adoption fee
>and in this case, two.  Potentially $200 as these were young ferrets.
>The shelter would have had to have them vaccinated if they were not,
>which would have cut minimally into the adoption fee.  Food, well, if
>food is already on hand, then the cost again is minimal."
 
Betty obviously doesn't understand the first thing about any non-profit
organization and certainly not about ferret shelters.  These fundraisers
aren't to support our trips to Europe or South America, they're not to
make the car payments for our Mercedes.  They're to buy food, and litter,
and bedding, and toys, and vaccines and veterinary care for the critters
we have taken in and promised to care for...forever.  And when I say
forever, I mean exactly that.
 
Also, when we don't have enough volunteers to do all of the necessary
work, we have to hire (PAY...DOLE OUT MONEY) to someone who works for a
living, like your next door teenager.  I can't do it all and I imagine
that other shelter's are in a similar situation.
 
Our adoption contract and I believe most shelters contracts, say that the
adoptor MUST return their ferret to the shelter if they can no longer
care for him for ANY reason.  When we rescue an animal it is for the LIFE
TIME of the ferret.  Does Betty think we take in a ferret one minute and
find a great home for him during the next hour?  Some few shelters may
have a shortage of ferrets and be able to "turn a profit" on every ferret
they take in on day 1, and send out on day 2,....but I don't personally
know of any.
 
How dare you suggest we're selling ferrets for a profit.  Or that a
particular shelter is holding a ferret for "short term funds"!!!!  If we
were in this for the money, we'd stop taking in ferrets and instead sell
ferret supplies.  THAT"S where the money is!
 
Our surrender agreement states that the ferret will not be returned to
the ex-owner under any circumstances!  We talk long and hard trying to
convince the person to keep the ferret, but once they decide to surrender
their companion, there is not a hope in hell of getting him back.  And
that's true whether the ferret is a healthy 1 year old or a naked 7 year
old.
 
Re: Charleen's post
As Alicia stated Humane Societies are self-funding and are controlled
by their board of directors.  Some may have contracts with cities or
counties to act as animal control or as the animal shelter for those
cities/counties.
 
There are also some "Animal Control" agencies that are a part of the city
government (Such as Seattle Animal Control, Medina Animal Control, King
County Animal Control, etc)  These agencies are funded by the government
and are regulated by the City or County Councils.
 
Sandi
 
Best Little Rabbit, Rodent & Ferret House
a non-profit animal shelter
14325 Lake City Way NE
Seattle, WA 98125
(206)365-9105
Open 7 days/week or visit our on-line store at:
http://www.rabbitrodentferret.org
[Posted in FML issue 3928]