From Hospice to Ferret Camp

The last 5 years have been bittersweet.  During the first 2, we rescued, took in and found homes for almost 150 ferrets.  The last 3 years weren't as rewarding.   Towards the end, I had witnessed enough suffering, emergency vet calls (thousands in vet related debt) and euthanasia to last several lifetimes.   We provided hospice care for almost 100 terminally ill ferrets and there were at least another 100 living in foster homes.   You can try not to get attached but if you have ever loved a ferret, then you know they will always win your heart no matter how detached you think you are.  We might be a formal ferret rescue/shelter business, and some people can detach from the suffering easier than others, but even so, we are still human beings and feel the loss.  Experiencing the scores and scores of dying ferrets took its toll and forever changed my life.  I can't speak  for the number of volunteers who experienced the same, but I'm sure they all have their own story to tell.

As a rescue, it became obvious of the need for ferret boarding.  People were always looking for a safe, affordable place to board their ferrets and LDFR certainly had a fare share of them.  Furthermore, there were several ferret rescues in western Washington located as far north as Mt Vernon all the way down south to the Portland area and in between.   Ferret boarding is almost always offered at a ferret shelter but there didn't seem to be anyone providing it as a primary service.   I received quite a bit of feedback from people about the type of care they would like to have for their ferret and speaking from experience, it's hard to meet those expectations while operating a ferret shelter.   

I have chosen to focus on ferret boarding as a primary service so that people can get the level of care they want and should expect, for their ferret.  Personally, this is also a therapeutic choice for me.

To learn more about ferret camp services, please go to the Ferret Camp page. I also encourage you to provide feedback about how I can make this site easier to read and find the information you need.