Giving Back..

Hello Friends,

In my 10 years+ of sheltering, I have learned that ferrets are good for more

than pooping and performing. They are what brings good hearted people

together for a common cause. It is because of the goodness and caring of

these dedicated volunteers, adopters, and supporters who call the "Inn"

their own, that we have created a family among friends, and a sanctuary for

our charges.

Each of our volunteers has carved their own niche, and has their own reason

to continue to come back week after week ,many, year after year. In over 10

years, collectively, we have nurtured, cleaned up after, and re-homed

roughly 1000 ferrets . It is because of friendships made, love affairs with

ferrets, and in support of our cause that they continue to return.

As shelter director my hope is that when the last hand feed is done, the

litter boxes are scrubbed, the hammies are fluffed, and the last playgroup

is looking for a cuddle sack to crash in; each of my volunteers can be proud

of the difference they have made.

With that being said, many of our summer volunteers headed back to the

classrooms, and the weasels begin to nestle in for Autumn weather. We are a

501c3 and you can earn community service hours with us. Do you know of some

responsible students looking to accumulate hours? Additionally, many of our

weekday volunteers were professionals who chose to keep busy volunteering

while job hunting. Now that unemployment has taken it's course, several of

these women and men have obtained jobs in different fields, and we will miss

them.

Whether you are interested in helping with events, cleaning up the shelter,

grooming ferrets or helping with medical issues, there is always something

rewarding to do at The Inn.

Please consider joining our family of volunteers at The "Ferret Inn" today.

We will provide the necessary training, and all the ferret fun that comes

with this animal lover's opportunity. Both weekdays and weekends are

available.

If interested, please contact Nancy Wilson directly via e-mail at ferretpassion@verizon.net.

Or, visit our page on VolunteerMatch.org here.

Sincerely,

Nancy Wilson, Director

The Ferret Inn

Spotlight on volunteer: Crystal

Crystal Hughes is Officer of Public Outreach. She organizes adoptions day, which helps ferrets find homes with responsible owners. She's been with the Inn for three years and has recently adopted a ferret, Nina.

You organize events, such as adoption days. What does a regular adoption day consist of? Ferrets are still pretty uncommon to a lot of people. We get a lot of questions like "How long does a ferret live? What do they eat? Are they litter box trained? Don't they bite?" Kids love to hold the ferrets and watch them run through the tubes. We usually have a crowd at adoption events!



Why did you decide to volunteer at a ferret shelter? I've always loved ferrets and wanted to help educate the public about them and find forever homes for them.

What's the most satisfying aspect of volunteering? Knowing that I'm helping to give a ferret a chance at a happy life.

What is it about ferrets that you love? They're silly and playful and mischievous. How can you not crack up when a ferret does the weasel war dance? Or steals objects five times their size? Each ferret has their own personality and "quirks". Ferrets really know how to make the most of life.

How did you get into owning ferrets in the first place? An old friend of mine adopted a couple of ferrets from a shelter. They were so much fun that I decided to adopt two myself. That quickly went from two ferrets to six ferrets!

You recently adopted Nina from the shelter. How did you come to adopt her? Nina came from a pretty bad situation. She was living on a diet of bologna, Cheerios, and dried banana crisps -- that is, when the owner remembered to feed her. Her water bottle was empty and her litter box was overflowing. When Nancy got her, she was dehydrated and wouldn't eat gruel or kibble on her own. I agreed to foster her to make sure she was eating enough and so that she wouldn't have to deal with the stress of the shelter. It wasn't long before I fell in love and adopted her.

What is the most important thing that people who want to adopt should know about ferrets? Ferrets aren't cage animals like gerbils and hamsters. They need mental stimulation and interaction with their humans on a daily basis.

Volunteers at The Ferret Inn

Volunteers hold some precious cargo, after a hard days cleaning of the shelter. There are many volunteer opportunities at The Ferret Inn. For more information, please click here.

Spotlight on volunteers: Amanda

Amanda Mitchel has been with The Ferret Inn since the beginning of October 2008. She moved from Arizona and graduated from Middlebury College in Vermont. She's had four ferrets and currently works as a theater intern in DC.

How did you get interested in ferrets?

Well, when I was about 8, my mother and I decided it was time to get a pet that wasn't a rodent. Since my dad is allergic to cats and dogs, we decided a rabbit would be perfect. We researched for weeks, were all set up, went to the pet store--and fell in love with their only ferret. It's been true love ever since!


How did you find out about us and what made you want to volunteer?

Ever since I had to get rid of my ferrets when I went college, I've just missed being around them terribly. Once I realized I had some free weekends here, I started researching ferret shelters where I could donate some time. The Ferret Inn seemed particularly in need of help--and also particularly close, haha.

What's your favorite part about volunteering at The Ferret Inn?

Being around all the crazy personalities! Furry and otherwise.

And the least favorite part?

Well...honestly, who likes cleaning up poopy newspapers?

Do you have any favorite ferrets?

Haha, yeah. I just can't resist little Luna, Kitty, Clyde, Thelma and Louise, and Calypso. And then of course there's Aries and Socrates...and Tiff (one of the BlackJack 21).

What were your ferrets like?

Oh, I could go on for ages about my ferrets! But I'll try to sum them up. Ricki was my first ferret; she wasn't much of a cuddler, but kept us laughing. Bandit came along a bit later; she and Ricki were thick as thieves, but Bandit died shortly after we got her. Crysta was a little princess, who wanted nothing to do with any other ferrets, but loved people. She liked to hoard toys, too, and make little nests of her 'babies'. Cliff was the only ferret who could deal with Crysta, mainly becuase he was too doofy to realize she was trying to beat him up. He was incredibly sweet, and just always wanted to be around everybody (except in the living room...he was scared of it!).

What's it like not living with them anymore?

Not living with them now is a terribly hard adjustment. I miss the endless supply of love and smiles; I miss always having a playmate; I even miss having my feet bitten when I'm asleep! I don't know what else to say--it's like not having a pet. Fewer responsibilities, fewer bills, sure--but fewer rewards as well.



The Ferret Inn values its volunteers tremendously and is always in need of more. If you are interested in volunteering at The Ferret Inn, please email Fili at fili.telles@gmail.com.

Spotlight on volunteers: Cortney

Cortney Baca has been with The Ferret Inn since the beginning of September 2008. She got married in June and moved from New Mexico in July. She's been coming Tuesdays and Thursdays and, other than scooping and fluffing, she's The Ferret Inn's "scribe."

How did you become interested in ferrets and The Ferret Inn?

My husband and I have always loved animals, and we're constantly looking for new ways to help and to bring new critters into our lives. When we first moved here, I needed a job and was searching online for a job where I could put my love for furry friends to good use. I saw your website and was touched by the work, but I was very busy then, so I put it in the back of my mind. A month or so later, we were at a pet store picking up food, litter, etc. and Antony was really into the ferrets. I suggested we learn more about taking care of them and went home to research online. I read loads of information, but I wanted something more concrete.Then it clicked! I remembered "the Ferret Inn" online, and thought what better way to learn more about them than to volunteer and care for them hands-on. The rest, as they say, is history!

Do you have any ferrets, or other pets?

We don't have any ferrets yet, we are still getting settled into our new life and think that ferret keeping is a big project better suited for our future goals. We do have 3 fishtanks with various aquatic friends and 3 rescue cats that have come into our lives. Midna, Ganon and Azrael.

What's your favorite part about volunteering at The Ferret Inn?

I'd have to go with....kisses. No, maybe cucumber snack time. Well, maybe its big rowdy play sessions...No, probably Nancy's coffee. Well, lets just say I love everything about volunteering, but most of all I love the feeling of helping out the ones that can't help themselves.

What's your least favorite part about volunteering at The Ferret Inn?

Bad poop.

Do you have a favorite ferret?

I've got several favorites. Jumpin' Bean (from the Black Jack Crew), Luna, Buffy and Jody...those are probably my favorite friends.

How did you learn most of the ferrets' names in just under a month.

I can't remember human names for the life of me, but I've always had a knack for animal names. It might have something to do with the fact that I talk to them all day while I'm cleaning, using names over and over helps you to remember. I feel bad when animals don't have a name, so I like to be polite and use their names whenever I can. :)

You recently got a job. What is it that you do?

I'm teaching dance at a local studio. I've been dancing since I was 13, and am planning on going back to school to finish my dance degree. I love working with the kids and passing on my love of the arts to the next generation.

What's it like to be a newlywed while being away from the people and places you've known your entire life?

It's hard. I miss my friends and family, but we will be seeing them at Christmas. When we were in Las Cruces, NM and El Paso, TX, we were right on the border to Mexico, so one of the things I miss most is authentic Mexican food. We miss the desert some, but the change in scenery is most welcome. I love the trees and creeks, the pathways by our house are gorgeous. That is something you don't get back home. So far as being newlyweds on top of that, there are pros and cons. For the pros, we get to spend lots of time just the two of us, which we didn't back home, because we shared the same group of close-knit friends, so we were always in a big group. For the cons, we spent lots of time just the two of us, hahaha. We can bug each other quickly. We are enjoying settling into our new place and getting to know the area, though.


The Ferret Inn highly values its volunteers and is always in need of more. If you are interested in volunteering at The Ferret Inn, please email Fili at fili.telles@gmail.com.

Special delivery: 21 ferrets!

We want to introduce you to a new “special collection” of ferrets available for immediate adoption! These 21 ferrets (19 jills and 2 hobbs) have come to us via a research facility. They are some of the most beautiful fitches and points, with little dark noses, luscious coats and lovely dispositions. Prior to their arrival they led a very sterile and unstimulated life. We are always amazed to see how eager they are for affection and are very engaging with our staff. The arrival of these special kids is an event here at the "Inn". Watching these ferrets running through tubes, pouncing on crinkle sacks, and popping in peanuts for the first time, is a real tear jerker! We are grateful that the folks at the research facility have chosen us to mainstream these ferrets into homes and allow them the life they so deserve.

The research done on these little ones has left no ill-effects. In fact, they have all been properly vetted with all shots and are ADV negative! A year of so ago we received a smaller group of ferrets from a research facility and we were able to place each of them into their forever homes in a very short time.

We will be hosting an “Open House” to the public to meet our special houseguests and all of the other beautiful charges that are currently residing at the "Inn".




This is what happened when they were let loose for the first time:

See the rest of the pictures here.

If you are interested in adopting one of these ferrets, please fill out an adoption application.

UPDATE: The Ferret Inn has received 5 more Black Jacks on February 3, 2009.

How to donate money to The Ferret Inn (without actually giving money)

One of our volunteers, Crystal, pointed us out to iGive.com; a website that donates money to a cause (such as The Ferret Inn) when you shop at stores that you regularly shop from online.

Here's how to do it:

1 . Go to iGive.com, find "The Ferret Inn" and then register with your name. The Ferret Inn now has its own url: www.igive.com/theferretinn.



2. After you register, you must shop by clicking the links on this page (by directories) or this page (alphabetically). (Example: If you want to buy something from Ferret.com, then go one of the previously mentioned links, and click on "Ferret.com".)



After clicking the link for your preferred site to shop, you should see a pop-up window congratulating your philanthropy.


Additionally, if you ever use Google or Yahoo! to search, use iGive's search engine instead, and The Ferret Inn gets $0.02 every time you search for something.

So far, The Ferret Inn has received $61.56 from people who raised it simply by shopping from places they normally would. So please, put your consumerism to good use and shop using iGive.


If any one has any questions, iGive has a frequently asked questions page that could help you. Or, you can ask me a question on the comments and I'd be glad to (attempt to) help.

Adoption day at bark!

This Saturday, The Ferret Inn was part of an adoption day at our local pet food store, bark! We inform the public why they would want to adopt ferrets (or any other animals) as opposed to buying from a pet store. We bring about half a dozen ferrets to play around in a play pen and most people can't resist them. My favorite part about doing it is seeing how many people are surprised to learn just how friendly the ferrets are. I've only done adoption day twice (and both times on Clarksville's BARK!) and it's wonderful to see how many pet owners adopted from shelters. I would say that the number one question they ask is, "would ferrets get along with my pets?"

We show the people that most of our ferrets are given up because the previous owners say they can't afford them, or they have no time for them, or they just don't want them anymore. In other words, we show them there is nothing wrong with the actual ferrets, only their situation with their previous owners.

While showing pet owners how fun ferrets can be, we also tell them the things they wouldn't hear at a pet store: how ferrets require high-quality food, regular vet check-ups, constant ferret-proofing, and occasional assistance on finding the litter boxes.

If this sounds like something you would like to be a part of, please contact Bonnie (at bonnierussell@all2ez.net) or me (at fili.telles@gmail.com).