I think Renee has touched on a very important topic.

Just this past Saturday I received a call from a local ferret owner
that lost one of her ferrets. She got out the back door Thursday night
when Mom was going out to do laundry. I got the call Saturday around
11:30 a.m. . Mom had to go into work at noon but had taken Friday off
to look for 2 year old "Fiona" without any luck. I headed over there
and went into search mode. Not having any luck, I drove the streets
looking along the sides & in the gullies looking for anything that
even looked like a ferret. Again, nothing (thank goodness).

As a long shot I went around to the back parking lot of a hotel that
bordered on the vacant lot ajecent to the owners back property line
where I had found a ground hog or something had tunneled under the
fence. As I was getting out of my car I saw a couple of Housekeepers
taking a smoke break so I went & introduced myself and asked if anyone
had reported finding a ferret. Neither had heard of any but one of them
took my card up to the front desk as I searched the vacant lot while
squeaking a toy.

Turning around at just the right time, I saw the Housekeeper walking
back from the front office, waving to me. I ran over to her and she
said that a regular customer had found a ferret Thursday night and
reported it to the front desk. He had checked out Friday, and we
assume, took the little one with him as the cleaning crew didn't find
her. They called his home number but he wasn't in. They left a message
about the little ferrets owner looking for her.

Just in case he turned her over to a local AC or vet clinic, I went to
the ones closest to the hotel. No one turned any in but the AC folks
said that someone had called to report a lost one and I told them that
was the lady I was helping and explained the situation about the guy
staying at the hotel. They asked for & took my card and hopefully will
use it if any others call about losing or finding ferrets.

My concern was the attendants comment about turning "wild life" over
to the local wild life center. I didn't have the time to go into the
terminology "domestic ferret", but plan on bringing them some updated
info about ferrets in the very near future.

I called Fionas Mom & left her a message. She called me back around
3:45 and I gave her the hotel contact info and she called them with
her contact info. As of Sunday evening, no updates.

The hotel says the guy is a regular and checks in every Monday. Please
keep little Fiona & her distraught Mom in your thoughts & prayers, that
they are reunited.

Thanks!

Debbie

[Posted in FML 5956]