Ferrets Unlimited Update

Dear Friends of Ferrets Unlimited Rescue Services:

As 2009 draws to a close and FURS approaches its first official anniversary on January 1, 2010, we wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for your support and reflect briefly upon our first year. And, what an incredible year it has been!

On January 1 of this year, after receiving our 501(c)(3) qualification letter in November of 2008, we began formally operating as a foster-home-based ferret rescue organization. As you can imagine, there were a lot of details and logistics to be worked out, and the better part of our first year has been spent working on this. We're still learning, but we're getting there.

We were prepared for a lot of what we encountered along the way, but certainly not everything!

While in the middle of getting our act together, we were confronted with what every animal rescue organization dreads and hopes never occurs: a multiple-animal rescue. Fortunately, it wasn't huge – 14 ferrets – but the ferrets (and we!) didn't make that distinction, and it still put incredible demands on our volunteer Board – and especially our Intake Coordinator, Crystal Walko (special kudos to Crystal – she is awesome!) -- to get these ferrets removed, cared for, and situated. Because we're still a very young organization and haven't gotten our volunteer resources in line, we had to scramble. But, we did the best we could, and the ferrets that were taken from this home made it to a safe haven.

On the heels of the above rescue, we had a near miss with a reported hoarder situation (even more ferrets!) in Alliance, Ohio! We worked closely with the Stark County Humane Society and the animal control folks in the City of Alliance to determine whether intervention was needed. We're still not entirely convinced it wasn't, but these two organizations stepped in, investigated, and reported back to us that the situation was under control. In this instance, we needed to rely on their information, and we hope/trust that the ferrets involved are okay.

Our foster home network is evolving and growing, which will enable us to serve more of (and hopefully all) surrendered and abandoned ferrets that come to us. We have maintained very positive relationships with the humane societies, animal control departments, and charitable organizations (such as Morphicon, which continues to support us as their official charity) that Jean Caputo-Lee had established under Ferrets Unlimited Ferret Shelter (FUFS) and have made new personal and organizational friends of our own! We traveled to the annual Heart of Ohio Ferret Association's Ferret Buckeye Bash, and several of us represented FURS at Morphicon 2009 in Columbus. We have received some great recognition for our work, including the wonderful article by Karen Uthe Semancik that ran in November 29's Elyria Chronicle Telegram.

We were incredibly pleased with the number of ferrets we were able to place into foster and forever homes during our first year. The individuals and families who have taken in these ferrets are wonderful, and we couldn't be more pleased with the great folks who have stepped up to welcome our kids into their homes, hearts, and lives. Currently, we have about 33 kids in our care!

Here are our numbers for 2009:
60 surrenders
40 adoptions
18 deaths
12 strays
17 special needs (age, chronic illness, and/or behavioral challenges)

Sadly, we had our share of losses, as well - kids that were older and/or ill, and some real heartbreakers that were seemingly neither, but who either made it to us too late or encountered unexpected health conditions that they just couldn't overcome, despite our best efforts and those of our wonderful vet, Dr. Frank Krupka from Avon Lake Animal Clinic. Several of us have confided to one another the deep sense of sadness we feel when one of our kids passes away while in foster care, to the effect that they never got to their forever homes. But, upon reflection, I don't believe that these ferrets ever made that distinction. It doesn't matter to a ferret whose love they receive, and the words permanent and foster are meaningless to them. Ferrets give love unconditionally to whomever will love them back, and - amazingly - even appear to forgive those who don't (how's that for incredible?), because that is their nature.

We should take a lesson from these infinitely-wise companion animals during this holiday season and throughout the years to come.

See the enclosed sheet for some special stories we want to share with you. When we become frustrated (as we sometimes do) and reflect upon why we do what we do, ferrets like those you will read about provide all the reasons we need to keep on keeping on. Our work is often fun and rewarding, but it's also incredibly challenging and sometimes downright exhausting, both physically and emotionally. We can't do what we do without wonderful people like you backing us up. We hope that as we grow and mature as an organization, you will help us by volunteering your time and talents and becoming an active part of what we do. The larger and more effective our network, the more ferrets we can help.

Fundraising is a challenging, but very necessary (you very quickly become a realist when you are a non-profit!), element of continuing our work, and charitable organizations everywhere are being tested in these difficult economic times. As is to be expected, the bulk of our expenses are veterinary in nature. With your continued help and support, we have every confidence in our ability to continue to rescue, rehabilitate, and place the kids that come to us into loving, caring, and truly forever homes.

So, on behalf of FURS, I would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you for your support and encouragement. The FURS Board, volunteers, and fur kids wish you a holiday season filled with joy, hope, love, health, good cheer - and ferrets!

Deb Daugherty Benson
President
Ferrets Unlimited Rescue Services