Georgia, I think your idea of an auction site for the NJ ferrets is a great idea! :-> I'd be happy to auction some of the ferret soaps I make to help out these poor ferrets, too. I was one of the people who went to the animal shelter in Upper Township to help pick up the ferrets, and I must say that it was a really disheartening sight. Joanne (the lady who runs the shelter) is just a wonderful, very caring woman, and had done what she could for them in a really overwhelming situation. Nonetheless, many of them were still in their original (filthy, rusted through) wire cages, while others were in Have-a-Heart animal traps (because the shelter had run out of cages for them). Those cages and traps were stacked on top of one another in a couple of spare dog cages .. with no wire bottoms, so the feces and urine from the ferrets up on top just dripped down onto the animals on the bottom. In the other shelter room, the ferrets were in standard dog/cat kennels (which were absolutely spotless, by the way .. this is a very well run ... although clearly very underfunded shelter). Many of the ferrets were bright orange, and it was hard to tell what colour they were really meant to be. I give Anne a lot of credit .. she charged right in and started pulling them out of cages, giving them a quick assessment, and putting them into carriers for the trip home. They all looked very bewildered, many were very scared, and many seemed too sick to really know what was going on around them. Some were so delighted to be in fresh, clean bedding that they kept burrowing through it and rolling on their backs in ecstatic delight. Some of them bit hard, and Anne had to resort to gloves to handle them. Most, however, were amazingly sweet and well-tempered considering everything that was happening to them. We loaded the carriers into the van, and it was a two and a half hour drive back to Anne and Jim's house (the ferret shelter). Once we got them there, the first order of business was to give the ferrets water. They were all so delighted to see water that they were clambering over each other to get to the water bottles. When we got out the food, they were so hungry that at first we just resorted to dumping handfuls of food directly onto the floor of the cages. Once it calmed down a bit, we were able to get out bowls and feeders, and put them into the cages. While most of the ferrets ate like they hadn't had a decent meal in weeks, some were clearly too sick to take food or water on their own. Yvonne gave them sub-q fluids and cared for them. I have the feeling some of them will have to be put down. :-< So, that was our Xmas ferret rescue. I know Anne and Kim are still in need of many things (including money, for the overwhelming vet. bills to come). I think a ferret auction site would be a wonderful way to help out, if you could. Happy Holidays to all! - Ela (000)___(000) Ela Heyn / @ @ \ [log in to unmask] | | ======@====== http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/5483 [Posted in FML issue 3278]