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Post by RedSky on Apr 17, 2014 9:38:16 GMT -5
So I went on facebook and I am following the rescue where I was hoping to get my ferrets from, anyway decided against getting them yet and to learn about them, look at pictures and focus on my current furry family.
Anyway I thought this rescue was quite nice and professional but also realised that it seems to just be running out of a woman's garden of sorts and obviously she puts a lot of work into it, has volunteers and what not but I read this on Facebook:
The post them goes on about the other ferrets and how many they managed to re-home last month.
I can see her point, poor ferrets have already been given up once and when they thought they had a new home they have to go back to the rescue again (plus I imagine ferrets don't view a shelter as a hotel stay, they will think it's a new home yet again). So yeah I get that she must be miffed and upset that the new owners have given them up but do you think it is a bit underhanded and unprofessional.
At first I thought well done, someone who speaks her mind and says it how it is but then 'the girlfriend' replied:
I can sort of understand, maybe she only just got them last month and maybe better to give them straight back with the stress on a new baby... I don't know, what do you think? Obviously other people have posted inbetween saying stuff like everyone thinks everything is disposable and a post I have mixed feeling about :
I think it's the 'when I can' that is causing me concern...
If I were going to get ferrets it would have been this month or last, but as it turns out my dog (who is my baby) has cancer. I honestly think if I would have taken them on at this point in time I would have taken them back. Maybe I wouldn't have but I think there care wouldn't have been the best possible. Luckily I decided a while back that now wasn't the best time.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 17, 2014 10:07:20 GMT -5
I'm still getting use to people on the social networks, freely expressing themselves. We monitor what we say, when we are face to face (well, most of us do) with people, but online everyone says what they think. Without seeing facial expressions and body language, some thoughts come across so mean.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 17, 2014 10:23:05 GMT -5
There was a thread about re-homing animals a few weeks ago (http://holisticferret60.proboards.com/thread/14782/giving-back-rehomed-animal). This is a little different mind you, but to the animal not so much. I have mixed feelings about it, in which I shared there also, because I was in a similar situation. On one hand, is it better to 'admit defeat' and that you will not be able to give that animal the best live you possible can because of a baby or something else that is going to take up a lot of your time. On the other hand, you are taking that animal for better or worse and they will not understand. All they see is you abandoning them. That being said, I think what is in the animal's best interest is always best. And if you truly feel in your heart or head or whatever that you are not the best home than by all means do what you feel is necessary. I think it is unfair of someone to judge, but that is the problem with the world. Too many opinions with too little compassion. And I agree that it was unprofessional to post something on your 'business' site about a person. With my situation, I did in the end regret giving the animal up and was fortunate enough to make the wrong right, but if the salutation had been different, Bruno might have been better off... It's hard to say.
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Post by RedSky on Apr 17, 2014 11:34:05 GMT -5
So I have tried to write a reply to this about 4 times now, and I just can't put into words how I feel. Part of me is screaming you can't give away part of your family. A family grows and evolves and it is the adults job to make sure everyone fits and is a part of the family and that includes any fluffy/scaley/feathered members. I can't imagine any situation where I would give up my dog, he is my baby.
Then the other side of me says that if it is in the animals best interest to rehome then that is the right thing, isn't it?
If you get rid of one pet and then go out and get another the next week or month then that strikes me as wrong, especially if you sell a dog to get a puppy or dump your rabbit to get a kitten. But I'm assuming that this couple didn't have the ferrets long and didn't plan on getting pregnant. Maybe I'm wrong and he has had the ferrets for years and now has a girlfriend who is pregnant.
Maybe it doesn't matter, I suppose that everyone is entitled to their own opinion and if the old owner doesn't like it they can just unlike the page...
There is another post not far from this one about 2 ferrets brought back, apparently they were in a dirty cat carrier with empty food bowls and the third ferret escaped some time ago. And a post on their wall from a mother whose daughter surrendered her 2 ferrets and the person collecting allowed no time to talk or for them to say goodbye. Apparently the daughter was very distraught. Not sure if this relates to any of the 4 ferrets returned to the rescue...
I can see why rescues have such a hard time, and have little to no sympathy for the people surrendering their animals but at the same time I do wonder if they were more open and welcoming if less animals would be abandoned into the wild or dumped.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 17, 2014 11:51:28 GMT -5
Everyone looks at things from a different point of view. I see my little guys and all animals as a Forever, just like a child. I can't get rid of an animal because its inconvenient, anymore than I could rehome one of my children, because there might be a better home for them (though, I would love to have found other homes, right around the teenage years). That's just how I look at it, But I can see how someone else would find (and have) a different point of view.
At least with people, we can explain our reasoning to them. We can't explain to an animal, what we are thinking. So, I avoid any sad or tragic stories. I also stay away from Petfinder or Craigslist. I can't save everybody, and just get so worried and concerned about all the little ones out there, needing a forever home.
My eternal gratitude and respect goes out to all those wonderful rescue workers. It's a tough job and given what they see each and every day, I think that they have earned the right to get a little bit frustrated with some of the people that they have to deal with.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 17, 2014 13:43:45 GMT -5
I follow this rescue too and am thinking of adopting from them. I can understand where they are coming from as they must see it day in and day out, so it's probably hard for them to sympathise! That said, a little bit of professionalism should be shown when dealing with the general public.
* As a sidenote...A friend of mine who has had a rabbit for years (The rabbit is apparently wonderful) and recently got a puppy has now decided she no longer has time for the rabbit and needs to rehome her. How I have not responded to this I don't know!
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Post by RedSky on Apr 17, 2014 14:22:17 GMT -5
I did wonder if anyone else had seen this, the rescue seems to do well with followers and likes to keep in contact with the ferrets and their new families. So I see that as a good thing, but they don't force it, which is also nice. I am starting to see and understand better why people give up animals for true reasons but also thinking that I could never part with any of mine. My OH and I were thinking about rehoming our snake, we were given it by his brother when a 'friend' of his didn't pick it up after going on holiday, talking about 6 months after returning from said holiday. Needless to say he doesn't speak to said friend anymore and since he was in the marines and his girlfriend at the time was scared of it (as was their dog) he needed someone to hold on to it while he/us found it a forever home. 2 and a half years later Curley is still here, and since losing my own snake we thought about actually looking, but after looking on a reptile forum and at the snakes in the area looking for a new home (and realising the vast number of them) my OH turned to me and said "no" and that is the end of that, Curley will only leave us one way and it will be the heartbreaking way.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 17, 2014 14:26:44 GMT -5
Curley the Snake, I love it! Any chance of a picture?
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Post by Heather on Apr 17, 2014 15:02:52 GMT -5
I get frustrated with people on both sides of the fence. I realize that placing a ferret in a good forever home is a good thing for a ferret. So, why is a ferret placed into a situation where they are being rehomed because of a pregnancy? Did someone lie and not tell about the pregnancy, was it something that just occurred?or was the shelter told it didn't matter, that they would to what it took and wouldn't rehome? Too many factors into play. I also get very angry with people who decide that upon getting pregers or found a new puppy or whatever that they have to get rid of the old pets. I do rescue, I got 2 wee ferrets who were surrendered when the couple decided that it was going to be too much. What made me angry....why when you already know you're planning this step would you get into ferrets? Why when you know you are pregnant would you get a second ferret? and why would you surrender your ferrets and then decide to breed your dog and start showing the puppies? I'm sure there are people who feel this follows a logical pattern, for me it doesn't. Why do I read someone who's surrendered their ferrets so they can get a new dog? Why should this bother me...because it does a lot. I can't imagine giving up my little ones because it's become inconvenient....but then that's me ciao
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Post by Deleted on Apr 17, 2014 15:14:42 GMT -5
I think it would be hard to say "I would never" when we haven't been put in that particular situation. That being said, I'm sure rescues have "heard it all" and it can be frustrating to say the least. Should that rescue have said that from a business standpoint? Probably not, but with them saying that, hopefully it opened the eyes of someone, one day, thinking "well, I can give so and so to a rescue because they will have a better home". It's hard to say what the right thing is... that's why "Noone is perfect"
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Post by goingpostal on Apr 17, 2014 21:41:07 GMT -5
Rescuers are people too, should she vent on the public facebook page, ehh, really she just gave the background info on ferrets coming back which seems ok, the former adopter decided to get herself involved. It's hard for anyone working in rescue to keep a happy face on when hearing the same excuses over and over and how they need "want a better home", as though there are just tons of homes out there with no other animals or kids, no jobs and all the time in the world for their pets. Pets are a commitment who should be planned for their lifetime, I understand there are situations where rehoming is the best bet, but usually it's for the convenience of the owner. IDK, my pets are here for life.
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Post by katt on Apr 17, 2014 21:58:05 GMT -5
Unexpected things happen in life. It sounds to me like this baby was not planned. Babies are expensive, ferrets are expensive, both take a LOT of time. I know that most of us here think of our ferrets as our babies and love them as much as if they were our own skin-kids, myself included, but when it comes down to it a person's skin kids DO need to take priority over the fur kids. If I had a baby or even an older kid, and keeping the ferrets was putting my child's well-being at risk...you can bet I would do absolutely everything in my power to try to adjust the situation to keep my child safe but also keep my ferrets, but in the end it is the child's safety that is number one. If this baby was unplanned, it is very possible that they could not afford both the medical bills that are incurred during pregnancy (not to mention the cost of raising a child), and proper care for the ferrets. It makes me sad to see animals rehomed due to pregnancy, but it makes me even more mad to see people getting upset about it and bashing the owners. Would they rather them keep the ferrets and not be able to provide a good diet and pay for vet bills? What if they did keep the ferrets, and one of them got extremely sick, and they didn't have any money and we see yet another "my ferret is sick and I can't afford to take it to the vet, please help....oh no he died" thread... Sometimes difficult decisions have to be made for the well being of the animal and the family. It is easy to judge when you are not standing in that person's shoes. And we ALL do it, myself included. I try not to be judgmental, but it does happen and it is easy to become jaded when you see so many babies being rehomed. But I think it is important to remember that you don't always know the full detail of a situation, and many times being rehomed IS what is best for the animal, even if it is heartbreaking.
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Post by RedSky on Apr 18, 2014 5:04:53 GMT -5
I don't think the couple knew they were going to have a baby when they adopted the ferrets, and I understand why you feel so passionate, I couldn't bare to give up my dog just because I was going to have a baby, even though it would be hard work having them both. As for medical costs during pregnancy, the rescue and owner are in the UK, so NHS pays for all standard medical care, such as scans and hospital fees. You would only need to pay if you wanted to go private which very few people do, or if you wanted additional scans - not sure how many they provide at the moment but most people find it is enough. Yeah they are expensive though, with buying prams and cots and car seats and clothes, then bottles and the list is endless but I personally would try to make it work, but maybe they aren't as stable financially as me or they have a million and one excuses (sorry reasons, my judgemental side slipped out there)... I have never been in that situation (with the exception of my parents rehoming a dog as they feared he would bite my sister and we weren't able to deal with him while the trainer worked with him... long story but I still cry when I think about it and it was the hardest decision my family has ever made.)
Sorry no pics on this laptop, I shall try to get some and post them in the other pets section.
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Post by Sherry on Apr 18, 2014 8:52:59 GMT -5
For me there are very few "good" excuses for rehoming. I am presently dealing with a little one's heartbreak after being thrown away twice.
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Post by unclejoe on Apr 18, 2014 12:18:40 GMT -5
I agree, but some shelters are a little too strict. When I split with my ex, I was unemployed with 6 ferrets, but they all ate better than I did. As for facebucket, I go there when I have to. EVERYTHING you post there becomes their property. My and Dar's real names are not on fb. I think. You have to be careful what you post, because potential clients, employers and families all go there to research YOU, your friends, coworkers, etc.
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