Good Morning, (It is now 10:30 a.m. on Friday morning...) OMG! I just cannot believe it! No, this is not happening again.....no, no...!!! Unbelievably, there has been another rescue of animals at a hoarder's home. This time it's midtown Memphis. This time, there is a pair of very, very weak, sick ferrets. She says they appear younger. They had absolutely NO Food OR Water in or around the tiny cage they were found in. No bedding. NOTHING BUT FILTH. (I am typing through tears as we fear they may not survive as we believe they have been without for a long time. Too long...) Its all over the local news now reporting what very little information they know-some of it incorrect. Hundreds of live and dead dogs, cats, birds, mice and rats...and, sadly, the pair of ferrets were taken from a house littered with garbage and filth. I have spoken with the veterinarian (who is a personal friend and has owned ferrets in the past) and she is doing what she can to get these ferrets released to my shelter as soon as possible since I am a pet placement partner member at the shelter in order for me to take them to our ferret-wise veterinarian for proper care and get them out of the environment where canine distemper is almost an everyday occurrence. And....unfortunately for the ferrets, not only were there dogs and cats (alive and dead) found on the premises, raccoons were found inside the home. Raccoons INSIDE?! But, the ACS officer I spoke to thirty minutes ago believes the neighbor may have left open the back door last night when she discovered the filthy home, all the animals, and called the police. He believes the smell may have attracted the raccoons inside the residence before the ACS personnel arrived. Racoons are a normal critter found at night in that area. They are everywhere actually, so its very possible he is correct and that the racoons were not actually living in the house with the other animals. With everything else these ferrets have been exposed to, what we don't need is a the risk of distemper from the racoons. My God, what is this world coming to???!! Respectfully submitted, Maren E. Qualls Raisins From Heaven Ferret Rescue & Sanctuary Hernando, MS [log in to unmask] [Posted in FML 7570]