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Outreach
The domesticated ferret is perhaps one of the most misunderstood pets of all time. The misconceptions about what is a ferret, the care of, and the requirements for, are three of the major reasons ferrets are overloading our ferret shelters and being killed by the thousands in animal control today. What's most distressing about this situation is that it could mostly be avoided through the proper education of those individuals that buy, sell, treat and care for these fuzzies.
Through education we may help to prevent the impulsive ferret purchaser from making an uninformed decision by providing him or her with the tools via the staff in the pet store to more carefully decide if they have the time and means to safely give that cute fuzzy a lifetime of love and appropriate health/vet care.
Education shall include all aspects of ferret care, maintenance and illness. One of the most unknown killers of the domesticated ferret is ADV, Aleutians Disease Virus. This is a very real killer that must be addressed in the ferret community to help prevent a serious outbreak. It can be very silent as some ferrets are carriers that show no clinical symptoms. Unfortunately many vet clinics and pet stores have never even heard of this highly contagious virus. This can and will put your ferret at risk if you enter a clinic after an infected ferret has visited with no precautions taken.
Maryland Ferret Paws, Inc. will assist in the creation of workshops demonstrating skills to care for the fuzzies including but not limited to; housing, ferret-proofing, feeding, nail trimming, ear cleaning, teeth cleaning, full body exams in search of abnormalities, skin lesions, etc. These workshops may be held in (with permission) vet clinics, pet stores, parks, shelters or the home of a fuzzy lover. Workshops may also be useful tools to discuss, demonstrate and share the experience of dealing with many cancers, illnesses, medications, old-age and/or behavior problems. We also intend to create workshops to simply educate and excite the general public or any interest groups in the joy of the domestic ferret. These may include but should not be limited to; senior centers, 4-H groups, Girl/Boy Scouts, youth groups, children's centers, and hospitals.
We seek members to speak out about the domesticated ferret and MD Ferret Paws, Inc. in all the pet stores, vet clinics and events that you have the opportunity to address. With membership you will be given the opportunity to assist MD Ferret Paws, Inc. in membership drives, fundraiser's and the creation of workshops to better educate the general public about the domesticated ferret. We need the public at large to keep your eyes open and bring to the attention of MD Ferret Paws any questionable conditions, practices, pet stores, clinics, shelters and humane society's that you find ferrets in. And most importantly we need help spreading the message that MD Ferret Paws is here to protect the welfare of the domestic ferret.
