Ferret Shelters
A Few Tips On Ferret Shelters
It's hard to imagine anyone abandoning their pet, in the belief that ferret shelters are there to care for an animal that no longer seems to fit in with the rest of the household. When a person gets an animal with the intention of making it a pet, it doesn't matter if that animal is a cat, a dog, a canary, or a ferret. A commitment should have been made to care for that animal throughout its natural life.
It would be nice therefore, if everyone believed in that commitment, and in fact understood the meaning of stewardship as far as having pets are concerned. The need for ferret shelters wouldn't go away, but we would need fewer of them, and those that we would need would not be so crowded, and at times so strapped for funds. Certainly there are situations where it would be appropriate to give your pet ferret up to a shelter. Circumstances might include your not being able to care for the animal yourself, and have not been able to find a good home for it. Maybe the reason is illness (yours), or moving to a location, or a new home where ferrets are not allowed, or could not receive adequate care and attention.
Most shelters take in pets because of their love for animals, not for monetary reward. If you're in a situation where you must turn your ferret over to a shelter, it would be a very nice gesture to make a generous donation to that shelter. After all, unless the animal is very sick, they are unlikely to put it too sleep, but will give it the best care they can for the rest of its natural life.
So far, we've talked about taking a pet to a shelter. What about going to a shelter with the idea of adopting one? It would only be reasonable to pay a fee to get an animal, as that would be a way of ferret shelters to help in meeting expenses. Even with the fee, you'll probably pay far less than you would if purchasing a ferret in a store or from a breeder. Chances are excellent that you'll be receiving a healthy pet, and one which, at least while at the shelter, has been receiving the best of care.
Where can you find ferret shelters? Going on line is your best bet, and the first stop might be at the American Ferret Association's (AFA) web site. There you'll find a fairly lengthy list of shelters, listed by state, including contact information (phone numbers and e-mail addresses). A number of the shelters have their own web sites. So it will be a fairly easy task to visit on line several shelters that might be in your vicinity, or even in your state, find out what animals are available, and what the conditions for adoption are.
You can be certain, if you wish to give one of these animals a good home, the shelter will try very hard to give you the pet you want, and more than one if you want! The AFA doesn't endorse any shelter in their listing, but are simply providing a service. Organizations listed include ferret shelters, clubs, associations, rescue societies, and even a ferret halfway-house!
Whether one is in the unfortunate position of having to take a pet ferret to a shelter, or in the happier situation where adoption of a ferret is the purpose, ferret lovers can all be grateful for the services these ferret shelters provide. They certainly deserve our support.