Hi to Everyone and their Fuzzies, Lisette I'm sorry to here of the distruction to the wetlands and that you and your fuzzies won't be able to share their beauty anymore. While visiting the Colorado Zoo several years ago I ran into a truth sign at the very end. It was a mirror with a caption under it reading,"Worlds most dangerous animal". As most people do, you find yourself looking in the mirror to see yourself looking back. Maybe someone should hold this mirror to the people involved and see what they find. Personally, I feel they need more then a fine, but I don't think BIG is allowed to print the evil things I'm thinking. To Rick at U.F.O. this sounds similar to my S.P.S.(Stupid People Syndrome). I'm afraid I don't have any solutions except education on ferrets and all pets, and sometimes little white lies to those who still don't get it. Our shelter operator is a gem. She spends at least two hours, sometimes more, upon initial contact with perspective ferret owners answering and asking every question she can think of and you don't get to go home with one yet. It seems sometimes she can talk to people till she's blue in the face about the ins and outs of owning a ferret and still we have ferrets that are returned two months later or turned into us at 7-8 years old after spending all that time with their owner. Ferrets get depressed over this there's no doubt about that. They bond very deeply to the people they share a home with for all those years. Their are very few excuses I personally accept from people who do this. We have even discussed asking people what their living habits are to determine if they have the love, time and dedication it takes to properly care for a ferret. It may be getting a little personal, but if it avoids one ferret from going to an improper home then it's worth the ask. She has even gone on instinct and not adopted to people if something didn't seem quite right. Guess what? They just get their ferret somewhere else and sure enough at some point that same ferret ends up in our shelter. As for answers the only one I have is to work with people in the pet community and if required get in their face. Here in Winnipeg, Canada we have made a few steps in starting to do this. We work in conjunction with the local Humane Society. When they get ferrets in no matter the circumstance they call us to come and get them. We also now work with the City of Winnipeg Animal Services. Now instead of picking up a ferret that is stray or has bitten someone and euthanizing it to send it for the always negative rabies testing, they call our emergency hotline and we go rescue the ferret or they do the rescue and call us to pick up the ferret. We do educational seminars for up and coming vet techs at our local college and give information packages to pet stores to give to people who are thinking of or are buying a ferret, because the bottom line is people are going to buy ferrets whether the booklets are there or not. At least they know they can call us for help if they need to 24/7 and have information. Some people DON'T THINK of doing research and talking to owners of ferrets or gathering information before they get that pet. We have had some people drop their ferret off after having it for several years, stay as long as it takes to fill out the papers then leave(about 5 min.). Makes you wonder how much they really loved their pet. Unfortunately their will always be those people that no matter what you do or how hard you try they just don't get it. Our Zeus was an abandon/lost/found ferret at the age of about six. The people who had him sure gave up one hell of a ferret and don't have a clue as to what their missing. But maybe they didn't have a clue to begin with. The one bright spot in all this - the fuzzies have people like you and many others on the F.M.L. they can turn to and count on for help, caring, and lots of love no matter what. Kathy and the Ferret Collective - Our Pets For Life [Posted in FML issue 3066]