Good Morning, Life is funny sometimes....just when you think you can't go on anymore, life reaches out to you and yanks you back in!!! I suffered a great tragedy in my life this last month and I had taken solace in my ferrets - I even took a short leave of absence from work and will return next week. The emails and phone calls began last Monday..... Fayette County, Tennessee, authorities received a complaint from a cable television technician who had been in a home filled with trash, covered in filth, and animals everywhere in cages and, sadly, some animals were dead. Out of the concern for the welfare of the two teens and the remaining animals living in the house, the authorities served a warrant on the home owner and found 168 suffering and dead animals in a home of .... lets all say it together!!! .... a hoarder... sigh. Oh, the conditions were soo awful that I cannot even begin to describe them here. I've seen the photographs and have spoken with the AC officials who were at the seizure with the sheriff's office. If you would like an idea of the conditions in that hell-hole, you can find news reporters covering the story for all of the local television news stations and the local paper (google -168 animals rescued in Fayette County Tennessee). Many were saved...just in time. Including 5 ferrets! The ferret-angel was watching over them...keeping them safe until help arrived. Facing 168 counts of animal abuse and neglect as well as multiple charges of child endangerment, etc etc., the owner surrendered the animals without a custody hearing last week and I am about to leave to pick them up from the American Humane Association who intervened on behalf of the court and bring the ferrets to the safety of the shelter. I will update all of you once they have been assessed for a few days. Respectfully submitted, Maren E. Qualls Raisins From Heaven Ferret Rescue & Sanctuary Hernando, MS [log in to unmask] [Posted in FML 7566]