Kat I think what you are implying is wrong. Shelters have a very hard decision to make every day! They work on very limited funds and try to do the best that they can with what they have. I know the Shelter Moms & Dads would like to save all the ferrets, but most of the time it is just not possible. Unfortunately a lot of the decisions are dictated by finances. I personally believe that since elderly ferrets tend to have a higher risk of not making it through a surgery that if the choice came down to surgery for a kit or a senior the surgery should go to the ferret with the greater probability of survival which 9 times out of 10 tends to be an adoptable ferret. Unfortunately older sick ferrets are usually not the ones that get adopted :-( You state: >"i also understood that medical care for a ferret being fostered was >supposed to be covered by the shelter fostering it out...even if that >ferret is unadoptable...is it not entitled to proper medical care?... >and is not the VET the one who should decide what that ferret needs? > >sorry...just questions that have been tumbling around in my brain... > >i know there are shelters that take care of each ferret on an individual >basis...are these only shelters that answer only to themselves?..or can >'shelter-by-committee' shelters take care of a ferret this way too? how >many clubs that rule shelters follow the "adoptables first" rule of >thumb?... > >don't the poor babies who no one will want deserve a chance to have >their" Your last line hear is what really upset me. I feel that you just may have laid a huge guilt trip on the Shelters and that is not fair. They all deserve a chance but shelters have to be realistic. If you feel that you have a solution for this or have the money for all their surgeries then I would love to hear it. I also want to state that I do not speak for any shelter. This is just my $.02. Lisa & her 24 paws [Posted in FML issue 4170]