In response to your questioning the validity of the aforementioned shelter you so cleaverly did not name, I don't quite understand why the website led you to question anything. You know NOTHING about this person.....have you met her??? Have you been to her house??? I think not. So what gives you the right then to put out such an email if you don't have actual knowledge of what goes on at this shelter?? Yes she breeds dogs, she has been doing that for a very long time, much longer than the shelter has been there. Did you know that the sale of the puppies helps to fund the shelter???? No, I guess that possibilty never crossed your mind. I am privy to your "suggestions" made and they came off as yet another "how dare you ask for money" answer. Instead of saying something like "what a nice gesture, did you try Fed Ex and UPS for discounts" you basically made it sound like she was wrong for asking for help. This particular shelter has been hammered time and again for asking for help.....actually, she rarely flat out asks for help, she sells items and asks for sales. She has NEVER received money from the SOS although she IS on their shelter list. (except for money that was raised at Petco and went through the SOS to get to her, it was not SOS money) She is also on the shelter list for the AFA. An influencial member of which has been to the shelter and has seen it first hand. She then passed on, to the ranking members of the AFA, not only the validity of the shelter, but also the fact that it was the CLEANEST shelter that she has ever been to, this AFA member likes to go to the shelters for just this reason. This shelter is also listed on Petfinder and 3 local animal shelters contact HER to take on the ferrets they cannot handle. Do you think that they would just call anyone and hand over an animal??? It would be interesting to see who in the ferret community you asked about her that told you that she was not a real shelter. How many of them have been to her house and seen what goes on??? And further more, what do you consider a REAL shelter? The definition that I am aware of is: "A refuge; a haven; an establishment that provides temporary housing for homeless animals." You can go on the Petfinder website and see how many ferrets have been rehomed through this shelter. I have seen the medical bill for this shelter account, just yesterday, and it is $3298 and change. Yeah, she is definitely "in it for the money".....what an assinine statement that was. Exactly what do you consider verification for the validity of a shelter??? She can verify her shelter account with the vet, she can verify with contracts the people who have adopted from her, she can verify the money she recently asked for was spent on shipping boxes to Judy Cooke, boxes that are full of bedding, toys and medical items for Katrina ferrets. What more do you want??? The thing that amazes me the most is that through asking others to help her help Katrina victims she has been victimized herself and put through yet another ringer. What kind of person are you?? And you yourself are supposed to be in it for the ferrets???? I beg to differ. Caryn [Posted in FML issue 5002]