FERRET BUSINESS of GA
Our Foster Ferrets Waiting for Loving, Permanent Homes
I have a home, thanks to Petfinder.com
I have a home, thanks to Petfinder.com
The Meaning of Ferret Rescue...but be sure to have tissues ready
In memory of Mike Janke, thank you for this enlightening visualization
Save the dates! The next IFC symposium will be held in June 2011
The International Ferret Congress is pleased to announce the dates of
our next major Symposium which will be held in the Phoenix, Arizona
area. Save the dates of June 3 - 5, 2011 and expect further information
regarding the hotel, cost and speakers soon. We're excited to have
negotiated very competitive hotel rates and are working also to reduce
the registration cost.
We realize this is a long interval between symposiums but think you
will agree that it was worth the wait. Restructuring the IFC following
the departure of the original board has been time-consuming. We look
forward to providing you a program that meets the standards set by
them and thank Linda Iroff, Judy Cooke and Julie Fossa, and later
Fran Prager, for helping to pave the way.
The International Ferret Congress
After reading this overview, if you still have questions or wish to pursue an adoption, please call us...
Juliana at (770) 984-1417 or Jill at (770) 924-4724
*****
FERRET BUSINESS of GA
(fer’it·biz’nis) n. 1 Ferret foster care & adoption. 2 Info about ferret care & ownership. 3 What a ferret does. 4 A collection of ferrets. 5 A direct result of ferret math.
That's BUSINESS as in a bunch of ferrets.
FERRET BUSINESS of GA was created to provide a haven for homeless ferrets, adoption services, care & behavioral information, & a veterinary referral resource. We're incorporated as nonprofit in GA & licensed as an animal shelter by the GA Department of Agriculture (the government agency regulating animal shelters, groomers, kennels, & breeders). We're located in the Atlanta area & have many fosters waiting for permanent, loving homes.
We would be happy to answer any questions you have about being owned by ferrets. The funny thing is that most people don't even know what they don't know about caring for these special little guys. Great resources are:
After doing some research, you might have a few more questions to ask. Then I can best assist you in determining what kind of personality will fit into your lifestyle.
Please keep in mind that deciding to take a living, feeling creature into your home is a lifelong commitment & responsibility.
I look forward to speaking to you & answering any other questions you may have ;)
The way our adoption process is usually handled is to first do a phone interview to find out what your situation is & who of our fosters would be a good match. We have an adoption contract & ask for an adoption donation. All the money collected goes to the medical care of the fosters. The expenses for the rest of the care & needs of FERRET BUSINESS fosters are all handled out of pocket by the caretakers.
Our fosters have been found, surrendered, or abandoned to animal control agencies by their owners. They can come from loving families who were truly concerned about their welfare or from environments of neglect &/or abuse. Our fosters include "only children" (ferrets who do not like ferrets) & ferrets who can be accepting of others. We have singles & bonded pairs who cannot be separated. We also have special-needs ferrets w/known medical conditions &/or are of advanced age who are in need of a family that can provide nurturing love & care for whatever precious time they may have. We come to know the personalities of the foster ferrets in our care & can tell you who is very active or docile, playful, interactive or aloof, quiet or rambunctious, mischievous, nippy or kissy, who can climb, etc.
General veterinary health checks establish approximate age & health. All ferrets are tested for Aleutians Disease Virus (ADV) - this is an ADV-free facility. All are up to date on rabies & distemper vaccinations to whatever point they should be. And all are neutered/spayed in accordance w/GA State law. Most ferrets in GA are already descented, but in the few cases they aren't, descenting is not performed unless warranted by a medical condition. Descenting has nothing to do w/the way a ferret smells. They do not empty their anal glands unless they are hurt or traumatized & the odor is short lived & easily washed away. Descenting is a painful & unnecessary surgical procedure.
While in our care we can interact with them to determine what their personality is like, what foods they prefer, & what individual behaviors they have. We provide a written profile for each ferret adopted, their rabies certificate, & a little food for the transition.
Our adoptions are all conditional - the stipulations of the adoption contract must be met. Basically the contract is our guarantee that adequate exercise, food & water, shelter, & veterinary care will be provided. The contract also states that if for any reason you are unable to keep the ferret that it is to be returned to FERRET BUSINESS & not transferred - our guarantee that unwanted ferrets will not end up in labs, animal control, or a revolving door situation of being dumped from one place to another.
In cases where companions for existing ferrets are sought, we do our best to insure compatibility. Ferrets come to visit, with the people they own, to pick out their own companion. Visiting ferrets must be ADV tested, up to date on rabies & distemper vaccinations, & flea free.
The majority of the ferrets we take in are not tiny baby kits. Most ferrets are surrendered to us after the novelty has worn off. Also keep in mind that a mature ferret is often the better choice for a 1st-time owner. There's no nippy stage to get through & we know what the matured personality is, as well as their activity level, preferences, & dislikes.
After the initial phone interview, an appointment is scheduled to meet the available fosters at our home-based Marietta location on Sunday afternoons. Be prepared to take off your shoes in inclement weather!
For the most part, that's how it's done. Please call me at (770) 984-1417 or Jill at (770) 924-4724 when you have some time. The best time to reach us is in the evening 7pm-10pm during the week (we have real full-time jobs too) or on the weekend. We're on the phone a lot, so please leave a msg (w/your name, phone #, the best time to reach you in the evening or on the weekend, & why you are calling) if you get voicemail.
Any & all monies coming in to FERRET BUSINESS of GA helps us to support the medical expenses of the foster ferrets in our care. So if you’re getting set up for your first ferret, we can advise you about how to properly outfit & set up a cage, what the necessities are, what's nice to have, & what not to get - before you get it. And if there's something your fuzzy little friend needs, check to see if we have it. You'll both be glad you did.
FERRET BUSINESS of GA gratefully welcomes donations to help support our efforts, including food, treats, & supplements; cages & other related supplies; sleep sacks, hammocks, beds, & towels; toys; cleaning & laundry products; white or color copy paper; & of course cash donations. Cash donations over $100 receive a receipt for tax deduction.
You can also earn money for our cause simply by using either of the following browsers with "Ferret Business of GA" as your cause.
You can make a donation towards our medical expenses through PayPal
The FERRET BUSINESS of GA (fbog) message board was founded to provide communication & information distribution to the FERRET BUSINESS of GA network. We also encourage ferret enthusiasts in GA & those interested in first-time ferret adoption & ownership to join us. Please share your questions, stories, experiences, & advice on these magical beings who steal our hearts. Fbog's only requirements are cooperation & respect for our group & of course, a love of fuzzies. Yahoo requires a Yahoo ID. To subscribe, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/fbog/
GA Dept. of Agriculture License #A211
A 501(c)(3) Charitable Organization
Click here for a list of FERRET BUSINESS of GA Foster Ferrets waiting for homes
