Dawn & other shelter operators, We too are running into the same issues you experienced with running a ferret shelter out of your home. We are a small fledgling group that started our ferret rescue/ shelter/ hospice in November '04. We are in Roanoke, Virginia. Our local city zoning was just updated in December '05 and the way it now reads I can not house the shelter on my property (I have an acre of land with a small but ample Cape Cod and a one car detached garage on the end of a dead end street). Here's the quote from the head "dink" in charge of zoning: "Petitioning to rezone property requires the filing of a petition along with a filing fee (minimum fee $500.00), a public hearing before the Planning Commission (which make a recommendation), and a public hearing before City Council (which makes the final decision). After a rezoning petition is filed, planning staff prepares a report and recommendation to the Planning Commission." Not a cheap venture at all! And even if we could find the money to pay for the filling fee and someone to write up the plan to present to the committees it's still not a guaranteed done deal. We have kids waiting for adrenal/insulnomia surgery so diverting any cash away from that would be sheer neglect in my eyes, so we are currently trying to find a work-around solution. I have been in contact with two area realtors trying to find a spot that has the proper zoning already, and a building that would suit our needs that could be used as a tax right off for the property owner or be rented at a greatly reduced rate, but we are not 501 yet so the "offer" isn't as tempting to the land owners as it could be with the "official" status. The paper chase has started, in the stages of the articles of incorporation in preparation of the application, & we do have our Federal EIN already. We are hoping to have a pro-bono lawyer look over what we have so far before we turn it in to the government so the process will hopefully go smoothly. I don't know how other shelter directors, organizers, and shelter moms & dads do all the paper work, run the shelters, care for the hospice & medically challenged cases and hold down full time jobs. We have a good solid core of ferret lovers and are housing the kids in foster care but would love to have a central location. This would give our cause validity and a location to continue our ferret/human education plans. I truly wish the IFC (International Ferret Council), the AFA (American Ferret Association), SOS (Support Our Shelters) and the LOS could somehow join forces with the HSUS and other Animal Welfare groups to legitimize what all the ferret shelters, regardless of size & 501 status, are trying to accomplish. We don't want to re-invent the wheel, we just want it to turn with us instead of against! ANY advise or words of wisdom you could impart on us would be greatly appreciated. Debbie Saunders Shelter Mom & Director, Big Lick Ferret Shelter & Hospice Roanoke, VA http://www.biglickferretshelter.org [Posted in FML issue 5140]