GCFA is a shelter holding Over 100 ferrets that is located near Brookfield Zoo in Illinois needing help BIG time. EVen if you can only come in ONE day this month or the next or the next alone or with your spouse or a friend to clip nails or clean ears. The situation is intense here. More old half naked ferrets have been dumped. I left the shelter as the 2 people doing just about everything from early morning until very late at night discussed where else they could possibly put another cage. These people are SO nice and would be SO grateful for ANY help now. Could you not come in for 4 hours and clean litter boxes? Sweep and wash the floor for an hour?? Change the bedding? So many of these ferrets are not going to be adopted by anyone. They require medication and a healthy soup that needs to be hand fed. I was so disheartened to see all the balding old ferrets here. There is no money for adrenal surgery. Probably a good twenty-five thousand dollars would be needed. Money is needed for distemper shots, and to pay the past due vet bills. A little girl just rescued died. She was so pretty after they cleaned her up. Her story is one of ignorance and neglect. It was too late to save her here-though Norm had her to the vets on his day off. On Norms only day off, he also did the ferret wash, gave meds, cleaned cages, and took in the balding ferrets people were throwing out. Call 708-442-3376. Get directions. They are a few minutes drive from Brookfield Zoo. Spend a day or half a day. Drop the kids off at the zoo and come over and volunteer. This is really close to a crisis here. Maybe Bring a gift of paper towels, laundry detergent, newspapers, pellet litter, clean old sweat shirts or clean toweling, or a vacuum? E-mail me by this Sunday night if you have any questions of me. There is such love at this place. I could only dream of being half as compassionate and unselfish and sacrificing as these few people caring for over 100 ferrets. You will be SOOOO welcomed. [Posted in FML issue 3815]