Update 4/27/06
We are pleased to announce the formation of FERRET, the Ferret Emergency Response, Rescue and Evacuation Team! Visit the new web site at http://www.ferretemergency.org for more information.
Update 11/16/05
We have had so many generous volunteers, donations and fund raisers! The number of displaced ferrets has been relatively small. All are currently in safe places for now. Most are temporary surrenders, until owners find themselves settled sufficiently that they can take them home again. Due to everyone's generousity, we have been able to provide supplies including food, bedding and toys, cages, and vet care for the ferrets effected by the recent hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma.
We do not need further volunteers at this time! If you offered to take in a ferret, consider going to your local ferret shelter and adopting from them. These ferrets are as in need of a loving home as the victims of the hurricanes were.
We will be forming the Ferret Emergency Response Team (FERT) to deal with future disasters. More information will be posted soon.
List of Lost and Found ferrets from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita
Other resources for helping ferret victims
Letter from early September 2005
I have been contacted by so many people wanting to help with the victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. I want to let everyone know that we are trying to organize a network to help the ferrets that have been displaced. The IFC, SOS and FAA are working together to try to get ferrets to safety. Because the damage is so extensive, we will not be able to get in to the affected areas, but by working with the professional organizations that are already there, hopefully, we will be able to get the ferrets out and into the hands of the people who can care for them best - us - the ferret community!
We all know that ferrets have special needs and these needs will probably not be met by the organizations doing the actual rescues! We are in the process of getting information to as many rescue organizations as possible in hopes that as soon as ferrets arrive at the temporary shelters set up all around the region, we will be contacted and be able to go in and bring the ferrets out and into the hands of ferret-knowledgeable people and safety.
Please know that we hope to work closely with existing aid organizations, ferret product manufacturers and suppliers, ferret and animal shelters, veterinarians and others to assist our fuzzy friends.
If you want to help, here is what we need:
We need people to take in displaced ferrets. We will need temporary homes and quite possibly, permanent homes! If you have place in your heart and home for one more ferret - please, please contact Francine Prager, franjohn@warwick.net.
We also need shelters who may have room to house a couple more! If you are a shelter and would like to help, please contact Brenda Johnson, ferretfarm@earthlink.net. We understand this will be an extra burden to your probably already overcrowded shelter, but we are hoping to get as many private homes lined up as possible so this will just be a temporary burden to you!
We need food, bedding and supplies, please contact me, Judy Cooke, fertsrfun@yahoo.com. The needs are extensive and the list of items we need is long! We need to get ferret supplies into the temporary shelters to help with immediate needs. We need care packages to go with the ferrets into their new homes, and we need to support the shelters with food, bedding litter and supplies!
If you would be able to transport a ferret, please contact the Ferrets Across America, Ferrets_Across_America@yahoogroups.com. We also need information! There are many, many ferret people out there and some have a very deep circle of contacts - if you know of someone needing help, PLEASE, PLEASE let us know!
We still need funds! To Support Our Shelters
Paypal to <ferretshelterfund@supportourshelters.org>.
Check or money order made out to SOS to:
Judith White,
100 Walsh Road,
Lansdowne, PA 19050
To the IFC Emergency Love Fund
Paypal
to <ferretcongress@ferretcongress.org>. Make a note that it is for
Hurricane relief.
Check or money order to IFC to:
Linda Iroff,
46180 Butternut Ridge Road,
Oberlin, OH 44074
Planning for the future!
We know there are ferret people all over the country
wanting to help! What I would like to do at this time, is find out who would
be available
to help in the future. Let's face it, we live in a country where natural
and man-made disasters can and do occur. We are laying the foundation
with these disasters that would potentially allow us to help ferrets in the
future! But in order to help, the national organizations are going to
have to take us seriously. We all know there is no one more capable of
taking care of ferrets than us! We not only have some of the best vets
in the country teaching us how to care for our ferrets, we also have some
of the most devoted and dedicated people running shelters, raising funds
and giving support where it's needed.
It is entirely possible to work on getting a network set up now that can and will help us in the future. We need to organize and be ready to help when called upon! Information about forming a national emergency network will be posted soon.
If anyone has any information, any ideas or any questions, please contact me! Thank you!
Please feel free to cross-post this information!
Judy Cooke
Co-Director International Ferret Congress
Support Our Shelters