Yesterday, 12pm, 30 mins after I'd gone to bed, Phantom, our Captain Phantasic, one of the 'homeless 5' who has been staying with while his owner gets back on her feet, woke me to tell me he was thinking about crossing The Bridge. His owner is only about 2 weeks away from being able to have her ferrets back. She has gotten herself, her 3 human kids and 5 ferret kids literally off the streets and the humans into their own place, gotten a car and is working 2 1/2 jobs, all in about 9 months. Only 3 of the ferrets remain, without Phantom, two. I couldn't decide rather to take Phantasic by her work, a desk job in a bank, so she could say good bye, a difficult situation at best, or to take him to the clinic and tell her he'd left after she got off work when she could safely cry but would have missed the chance to tell him good bye. In the end I took him to the clinic and he was able to wait for her. Being a banker she works until 5:30-5:45. I called several from the clinic leaving several messages saying call me immediately. I rocked Phantom and waited. Resting peacefully, he too seemed to wait. She called at 5:44, the clinic closes at 6 and its a 10+min drive. She arrived with only 5 minutes till closing. Dr. Johnson stayed late, again, to help someone not her client or technically her patient. She let Terry hold the Capt. and cry for 30 mins until she was able to say good bye, then the Cap'n, Dr. Johnson and I walked that 'last mile' while Terry waited. This is the second time in three weeks Dr. J. has put aside her plans and personal life to stay and help a ferret and she professes not to be a ferret doctor! She helps me without pay or recompensation other than the diet Pepsis I bring her every Tuesday and what ever we can learn together. Without causing trouble, I can not tell you how many ways and how often she goes out of her way to save us hundreds of dollars each month and has ever so gently helped many into the next life . Without her generosity, quality of care around here would be hugely affected. She reads everything ferret I bring her, she takes classes at all the vet conferences, asks questions of other 'ferret' doctors and still insists she's just learning. So. . . . . So . . . . . . . if you have a dog or a cat, and ferret, most of us do, and you are in the Las Vegas Valley looking for someone who truly cares, is dedicated, willing to learn and just might, maybe, see your whole family, stop by and see her. You can contact me for the address, phone # etc. But in just in case you meet her, please tell her Itchy and Phantom, the Captain Phantasic, sent you and their gratitude. Brenda, Momma to the FurpeopleWeyr [Posted in FML 6381]