Dag, so many needing homes! My husband, son and I have been volunteers with a local shelter for a few years, we have seen the numbers and are consistly amazed by the stories that are told. But that's something else entirely! LOL One question I have because of the responses that I have read regarding the numbers in shelters is simple. What is a: Permanent Foster, permanent resident or Unadoptable Ferret? I, honestly, did not realize that they exsist! The shelter my family and I volunteer with and those that we have supported over the past 5 years, do not classify ANY ferret by those terms. Every ferret, reqardless of issues deserves a Forever Home, and can get one. Yes, it will be harder to place those special ferrets as they have expensive medical needs, behavorial issues and/or are elderly. BUT, there are homes/family out there who are interested in loving those same Special Ferrets. My family, in the past as we are full to bursting, adopted ferrets with medical needs(who are older) and behavorial issues. I know of many other families that do the same. I am not saying that a permanent forster family or shelter cannot care for those Special ferrets. I know they can. BUT I am saying why close off the options of that Special Ferret from a Forever Family just because of it's issues? Yes, an adoption will then require more questions and possible financial info will be needed to verify that the special needs will be able to be met, but it is Possible for that baby to find a Forever Home. Some of us LOVE a nekkid ferret! I LOVE our biters. We love the special times we share hand-feeding and medicating our Insulinomic ferrets. We Love our adopted blind ferret. We Love our adopted ferrets who are from breeder rescues and medical research facilities, who have genetic issues and questionable futures. We, as do many others, CHOOSE to take on the medical and financial needs of these Special Ferrets. Not everyone can do this, and like everyone else we do reach our limits. But for every family who does hit that limit, there is another waiting for that nekkid/special ferret to love for the rest of it's days. By giving a Forever Home and Family to those Special Ferrets: we are freeing up a cage, shelter finances and the time required for another surrendered/dumped ferret. Please don't shut us out. Lynn Love The Love Zoo [Posted in FML issue 4982]