We looked into Mission Fish last year, when someone suggested it to us. In theory it sounded good--and it would help prevent fraud. An organization had to be 501(c)(3) to apply. Now my memory might not be dead on--but there were two reasons we chose not to go with Mission Fish. 1. They only dispersed the funds every 2 or three months. This means if you have a little one in need of immediate surgery, the money will not be available to you for quite a while. 2. If the shelter was not selling for ITSELF, a percentage was taken by Mission Fish. To me, this defeats the purpose of a 501(c)(3) just a bit. A 501(c)(3) enables ALL the money received by the organization to go TO THE ANIMALS!!! The government does not tax this income .The idea of anyone else taking a cut of this was unacceptable to us. Our belief is that SOS is a better (respectable, reputable, honest) option, although ZFS has not been a recipient of any funds from them. Our best donations have come from people who have visited our facility -- or knew someone who had been here. I would urge all of you out there to visit your nearest ferret shelter, even if it isn`t close & involves a road trip. Take a tour. Meet some of the babies there. See what the operators deal with, day in & day out. Check out the conditions--and see if this is something you could help support a bit. Send them even $5. a month to help buy food. Volunteer once in a while, if you live close enough. Speaking from experience, I can tell you--it`s the little things that count. Love, Zoo www.zoosferretsanctuary.org [Posted in FML issue 5240]