For me it is : My photography. But YOU, if you want it, you can also help them, and I will explain you how.
So go and please read if you are interested . I don't want to sound presumptuous, I just wish motivate people to see how it can be easy to donate or to help and bring them to participate in a way or another. At this time I see shelters closing their doors, due to the bad economy which struggles them. How how sad, please think at all those little ferrets who need our help. But to help them we need first to help their special and precious moms and dads who are opening their heart to them to keep their shelter's door open.
Don't forget : To donate is to receive ! How gratifying can be to know that what you do is useful !
Why do they need help and will always need it ?
Sadly a lot of ferrets are
abandoned for many reasons, some has been even abused and it happens to
see horrific stories. For some, previous owners discovered that to have a
ferret as pet, isn't for everybody, or there is also the new human baby
who is coming, or a moving in a new apartment where pets are not
allowed, in sad cases previous owners who is very sick (it is the story
of my little Doodle, her previous mom is fighting a liver cancer. Doodle
was given directly to me by her previous mom) and there is also owners
with the bad economy and hard time to get a decent job, who have no more
money to pay for the care of their ferrets.
Many reasons, each case is different, but for the "more fortunate"
ferrets, there is hopefully great people with the biggest heart to
rescue those little ones. Ferrets need a lot of care. Often very sick,
in bad condition, treatments and vet care are so very expensive.
Shelters don’t receive money for what they do. They are all volunteers.
Many of them have a day work, and all their free time goes to their
rescued little ones.
The ferret
community try by what they can to help to rise money for to pay the big
vet bills, the food, the vitamins, supplements, litters pans, news
papers pellets for the litter pans, beddings, hammocks, baskets, laundry
soap, paper towels, cleaning products, even a dryer's machine, and
more ...
Raffles & auctions are ones of great and pleasant solutions for to help a shelter to rise money.
But
there are also the "frolics" where all ferrets people meet each others,
with their owns ferrets or not (it is depending the event rules).
All ferrets must be up to date with their vaccines and recently negative ADV tested !
What is "Frolic" ?
: It is a family day all of fun and pleasure. There is all kinds of
funny games, involving ferrets and humans. Human food, cookies, cakes,
sandwiches, snack, beverages, a little fees for the entry, vendors,
raffles, auctions, silents auctions. Sometimes veterinaries are invited
and will give informations about medical things or about everything
ferret ... People will be dedicated for nails trims, ears cleaning for
the ferrets, for a small fee. There are also all kinds of contests for
what you can register your ferret for $1 or $2 : the most big boy, the
most big girl, more tiny boy, tiniest girl, longest tail, costume's
contest ... And everybody are putting there hands in those funny events,
and in the end of the day money will been happily counted and will be
used for the benefit of the ferrets Shelters for who the event was
organized.
That is for money and fun, but we can also help Shelters & Rescues by being their volunteers : to come on their place, and to be their "hands helper"
: clean the cages, clean the litter pans, make laundries, even to play
with the rescued ferrets ... help with the trip to the vet clinic ...
You can be also a "Ferret Sitting", or be a "Family care"
in the wait that the little ones find a forever home. It can be good
for those who can't have ferrets forever, and will help for the need of
"ferret fix" ;)
I think there is never End about how to help out !
Nobody are rich, me neither ...
and it is not all of us who have enough money for to be able to give out
... but not everything cost money ! How can you help ?
-
Share the words about raffles and events. If you are reading this, it
is because you have Internet access, so write a note in your blog if you
have one, or cross-post in forums where you belong, or in your
journals, your facebook and tweeter ...
It
will take just a few minutes of your time and will cost nothing to you.
One of your friends or a stranger reader can be interested and will be
perhaps able to help out. We never know ! so why not to try it :)
- If you have more time, ask the shelters in your area if they need hands helper, and become one of their volunteers.
-
If you have skills or talent in anything : offer it as prizes for their
Raffles and auctions and frolics. It is not obligatory to be ferret
related, humans need things too, even if they don't need it, they will
love to have it :P . Like I do with my photos (so I must to admit in my
case, it costs money for the printer and shipping, and in another sphere
it will perhaps cost you supplies, but not always if you have stock at
home) so : photos, crocheted, knitting, drawings, paintings, cooking,
maintaining their websites, make their flyers, business cards, craft-Art
...
You see ... ! ... it can be easy ! and I have always thought that a person has always one talent in something.
For now it is what I have in my head, I will add more when more ideas will come.
I did an open article about what I do myself to help out. If you are interested to see who I have already helped and with what please go there : how-to-help-ferrets-shelters-rescues
ENJOY !
