Ok..  I tried to bite my tongue..  I really did.  Before you flame me for
this message, put yourself in my shoes (I'll even put in an odor-eater.)
Kind of long..  sorry
 
I've had to give up a few animals in my lifetime.  The most recent was a
dog named Lucky.  He was a beautiful dog..  funny, happy..  everything you
look for in a dog for the most part.  He was a stray puppy when we found
him wandering in the streets..  no collar and nobody blaimed him, so we
took him home with us.  Everything was good except he was dangerous.  A
stray dog got into our backyard one day while Lucky was chained up
(note..before you flame me on this, there are two small children who
play in the backyard and Lucky was NEVER chained where he couldn't get
food,water or shade.  He was chained for maybe a total of 30 minutes a
day.  If you have small children and a 75lb dog who jumps on them..
you'll know why) the dog attacked Lucky and it was bad..  Lucky was part
pit-bull, he came out on top, it was a very gruesome fight.  The other dog
lived.  A few days later the neighbor girl that plays with my little girl
bought her dog over (they let him in the backyard through the side fence
after being told to take the do g home) this one was worse..  the kids
witnessed it.  We tried to tell ourselves that he was just protecting his
yard..  which he was.  But at the same time, we had to think of the kids.
What would've happened if they had tried to help the dog..  Lucky was in
such a frenzy that he wouldn't know if it was a kid's hand or a dog's paw.
We have two other dogs who are in the backyard..  what if one day Lucky
decided he didn't like them or he was "protecting" something from them?
Nobody in the family wanted to come home to a dead dog.  I gave him up
because it was the best for him, me and the family all around.  He now
lives with a middle age couple who have no kids and no other pets on an
acre of land.  I love Lucky dearly, and I still visit him.  All I am
saying..  is sometimes there is more to the "giving up" story than meets
the eye.  I do agree with most of what was said in regards to people who
don't try..  who just give their pets up because they got bored with them
etc.  But not everyone who gives up an animal is a bad p erson.
 
I want to thank everyone who sent me e-mail and cards about Charm, it
means a lot to me.  Ferret people are truely a special breed.
 
[Posted in FML issue 3686]