My deepest regards to the woman in Bristol, Ct. looking for her ferret . I know how she feels. I am still looking for Odin, my heart is still broken, and the glue holding my heart together , is beginning to fail. I placed a photo ad in the local paper today, asking if anyone had seen this face, received one phone call, but no Odin, i get so hopeful everytime that number rings, that i am using to receive calls regarding my search for Odin. When there is any information, but no Odin is possession, it breaks my heart. As i had promised Eppers when he was missing, that i would not stop, till i drew my last breath, so be it the same for my Odin. It becomes harder and harder for me, to even want to read the fml, anymore, reading about all the ferret looking for homes for various reasons, but most of all, realistically, the majority of them, because they are unwanted? It is easier to separate oneself, from an animal, using various excuses, besides the real ones, like, don't want the responsibility? Sadly, we humans are the most selfish animals on the face of this earth. I am sure, that many if not all of us at one time in our lives has had to deal with rejection? . Reflect on how it made you feel, unwanted, by someone you had sincerely hoped to be a friend, with or a mate to, or in the company of, working for? Some of even by our own family. Why then do we choose, to project such a painful experience onto someone who is oft so loyal, as a ferret? Loyal, you ask? Well, i would say so, i have lost at least two ferrets to this, "shelter shock". Is it shelter shock, or are we being polite, lets face it, they go to shelters because they are unwanted, i make reference to ferrets here, because this is a ferret list, period. Why do we always try to make excuse, for our actions? I lost my ferret, Odin, and i beat myself up for it daily. It doesn't make the heartache go away, and it doesn't make him magically appear at the door, but I AM ONE who is LOOKING FOR ONE , ferret, and cannot find HIM, and there are so many out there, that have a home, and it seems they are not wanted ! Why, can i not find, just one ferret, one that i WANT, with all my heart, only to read of all the ferrets, that are so UNWANTED, by countless others. Ferrets are not objects, to be bought and sold, like possessions, but it appears that there are many who view animals as such. Possessions, not breathing, loving, caring, individual personalities. My ferrets are my family, my husband accepts them as family, he has learned all about ferret love, as he is possibly on the verge of losing one who taught him all about it? How can some of you, be so selfish as to give UP, your beloved animals, for selfish reasons, that you call "love", i thought, love meant loving everything, including the excess baggage, that came along? What if, what if we said, we were told, our children were not wanted? Would you, become another Susan Smith? What sacrifice would you subject your children to for the sake of a relationship? My husband is my daughters, stepfather, if he would not have accepted her, AS his own, there would have been NO MARRIAGE, PERIOD. I would have figured out a way to survive, on my own, with my daughter, till she was grown, and independent of her mother. My husband is a grown man, and can care for himself, animals are our dependents as well as fleshly children. When you enter a pet store, i hope you do your research, thouroughly! a lot of self examination is much needed here, a reality check at the door, maybe? Selfish, selfish, selfish, but i see it all the time in our society. For the LOVE OF ONE FERRET, Odin, i w/make many sacrifices, to find. What will you give up for the love of an animal? I have invested a lot of TIME, AND FUNDS, into this search, and i do not regret any of it. As i said before, i did it for Epimetheus aka Eppy, as i will do for Odin. Until i draw my last breath, and seek him at the Rainbow Bridge, if necessary. One broken hearted ferret/cat/dog mommy, missing Odin (ferret) , in Kenosha donna [Posted in FML issue 4026]