Well its a new year and here in Louisiana it is cold. Yesterday morning I awoke to find that my little Dodger couldn't wait any longer and had crossed the Rainbow Bridge. He and I had snuggled on the couch Sunday and watched football, our favorite Sunday sport. When the game was over I put him in his cage, in his bed in his special blanket. He was curled into a ball and barely fussed about being disturbed from his warm place next to me. When I found him he was still curled up as I had left him. Dodger was one of our purchase/rescues. My then spouse and I had stopped at a pet store because our ferret food had not arrived yet and I was afraid we would run out before it did. It was some little pet store in a little town in central Mo. There was a teenage girl working the counter that was more interested in talking on the phone than waiting on customers. Underneath a stack of cages was one laying on the floor with a fat ferret in it. The store was hot, the a/c was broken the girl told up. We asked about the ferret and told her it was too hot in there for him. She simply shrugged her shoulders and said he just worked there and quoted a price that was higher than any kit would have went for, and he was obviously not a kit. She also said they had another one brought in that was in the back because it was sick. While my husband distracted the idiot girl I snuck in the back and there was one sick little girl. I begged her to let us have the sick one at least. She declined and called the owner who said they were 200.00 dollars a piece. I was infuriated, my husband drug me out kicking and complaining all the way. The next morning I got up and started about my morning chores. But I could really concentrate on them for thinking of the two babies I had left there, but with the shelter there just wasn't that much money to spare. My husband came in and said he was running to town and would be back after while. 4 hours later he returned with Dodger and Faith. It seems when threatened with law enforcement the owner decided that he would take 20.00 for Dodge and throw the sick one in for free. Dodger has been with up for 6 yrs since that day. He was a joy from the first day. He never met an enemy and was sweet and lovable every day of his life. I miss him terribly but am glad that he is with his little Faith at the bridge now. I take comfort in knowing that they are together and neither are sick or hurting. Also that they will never know the hurt of being apart again. Thanks for listening. Kim and the fuzzies [Posted in FML 6569]