[Moderator's note: I forwarded this to MaFF for their comments -- their response appears in the next post. BIG] Before joining Maff or donating money to them, ask them where their money goes!! Maff has had money for a long time as the 2 ferret shelters in Massachusetts have struggled and pinched pennies to try to cover their costs. meanwhile MaffF sat on its money trying to figure out, what to do. Now they're back and talking about ferrets need this and ferrets need that, but when ferrets in shelters needed money and surgeries, MaffF was too busy trying to figure out what it wanted to do with itself to bother helping. It is kind of funny that their post had all that stuff about shelters being full and needing money - the shelters have been full for a long time and getting no support from Maff even though maff had money, it couldn't be bothered to help, now they are writing posts talking about how much need there is. OF COURSE there is need, but the shelters have had to go it alone all this time, because Maff just sat on their bank account, full of peoples donations to help ferrets, and let the shelters sink or swim. Fortunetly our shelters are smart resourseful women and they were able to keep their shelters going with the help of us few but dedicated volunteers. I feel its fair for people to know, that MaFF does NOT help shelters or ferrets, it hasn't for a long time, and any money you send to Maff either as a donation or as a membership, you have no guarantee that it's going to help any actual ferrets, I should know, I sent donations to Maff years ago thinking it would help ferrets and then when shelters needed them and needed financial help they just disappeared and the shelters had to fend for themselves. We do fundraisers and raffles to help the ferrets in our shelter, we have not had any help from Maff. If you want to help ferrets in massachusetts, donate directly to the ferrets. Maff does not give help or money to the shelters and they have given up looking to Maff for help. Give to the shelters, they are the ones doing the real work to rescue ferrets and take care of them. Maff will take your money and stick it in their bank account and no ferret will get any help from it. Do not donate to them or send them a membership if you truly want to help ferrets who need care. Donate directly to the shelters, that way you know that your money will help a ferret get his surgery or help the shelter buy food for its ferrets, if you send any money to Maff theres no reason to believe a shelter will ever get help from it, and that is where money is needed, it does not do ferrets any good sitting in Maffs bank account, and that's where it will stay if you donate to them. Both of the shelters in Massachusetts have a website, please visit them to see where the real ferret rescue work is happening, Gimmee Shelter and the Educated Ferret Shelter, they both have worked very hard taking care of ferrets during the last 2 years that Maff did nothing and didn't help them out one bit, please donate to them if you want to help ferrets in Massachusetts, especially during this holiday season of need. Thank you- A massachusetts shelter volunteer. [Posted in FML issue 4367]