Welcome to Lakeroad Ferret Farm Rescue/Shelter, Inc.

Master Largo News

   To Honor Master Largo for all the work he did on the newsletter we have kept our letter titled Master Largo News.

   Master Largo left for the Rainbow Bridge on April 26, 2004. Ziggy left for the Rainbow Bridge November 4, 2005. Andy left for the Rainbow Bridge October 16, 2006. Suzie Q left for the Rainbow Bridge on May 5, 2011. Possum Left for the Rainbow Bridge February 13, 2012. Sarah left for the Rainbow Bridge June 12, 2014.

   Ziggy, Reporter of a higher order, along with Andy, Suzie Q, & Possum, watching from the Rainbow Bridge.

   Daisy, Senior Reporter, with Wilson, cub reporter.

   Newsletters from 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, & 2010.

 

April/Mary 2017

HELLOOOO shelter friends and supporters! You are getting the April/May news early in May because we have a new shelter campaign starting April 30th to run up to and including The Annual Ferret Fuzzbutt Tune-up and Picnic day. June 10th.
  Mum says we need laundry soap, she decided we would do another soap campaign to get us some more. Mum does a minimum of 3 loads of laundry a day, 7 days a week. We would like to thank Miss Sue B. for the campaign picture, Miss Tori G. for getting it up on our web site, Miss Shiella S. for getting it on our Facebook page, and the humans that donated all the wonderful stuffs for us to raffle for this campaign, Doc Charlie, Miss Patty S, Miss Mary Ellen B, Miss Sandy G.
  If you would like to help out and get us some laundry soap so we don't stink up the place you can go here to see how to do that.
  It has been crazy busy here at the shelter, Mum had Easter break the week of April 17th, she thought she might get lots of extra done around here; but then fur kids needed a place to go while their humans went away for Easter break. When humans with ferrets go away the fur kids come to camp. Mum makes sure that when they are at camp they have a grand time. Talledo boys (2), Spiewak girls (2), Bird girls (2), Keenen crew (5), and now the Fessler fur kids (3). A lot of them used to be shelter kids that found their new forever home. You can see how much of a good time they have here.
  Mum loves to spend time with them. Mum's Easter break was taking care of lots and lots of extra ferrets. Reggie, shelter kid, even got to meet Ping, the camper. Mum messed up but Reggie and Ping didn't think so!
  During Mum's off time she took Leo up to see Our Favorite Doc (OFD) Leo found a family to love and go live with, so Mum took him to see OFD to be sure he was medically sound to go to his new home. Miss Nicky T. did the home visit fur us, Miss Tina B. checked out the references for us. OFD said Leo was good to go, Miss Nicky said the home was a good place for him to go, and Miss Tina said references checked out. Life is good, Leo can go to a new home! When Mum was checking Leo out at OFD she was told there was no need to pay for anything because there was a balance on our shelter account.. Mum wanted to know who put it there but they did not know, that is the second time Mum has taken one of us up to find out someone put paper that works like money on our account.
  We want to thank those that help Mum take care of us, in secret, by putting money on our shelter account for OFD.
  When Mum goes to Brockport with us to see OFD, she stops in to pick up papers from Miss Donna Z. Mum and Miss Donna Z were both on the fly that day, so Mum packed the van with papers, while Miss Donna took her stuffs into her house. Thanks Miss Donna for collecting papers for us and letting Mum come pick them up even when you are crazy busy!
  Now the sad news, after all the work Mum, Miss Nicky, and Miss Tina did to get Leo settled to go to a new home on April 22nd the family contacted Mum on April 18th to tell her they changed their mind. They were not going to come get Leo. Mum was sad but was glad they decided that before they took him home and had to bring him back.
  We were invited to go to the Tails on Trails event on April 29th - it is a fund raiser for the Ontario County Humane Society - Happy tails. They are the ones that saved me from the freezing cold on January 1, 2016 and got me to Mum to thaw me out. So Mum said yes we will come help support the event, she decided to take M and M since they were the last 2 saved by OCHS - you can read their story here
  Mum packed everything up, including M and M, picked up Miss Ili and they headed to the event being held at the BOCES school by the animal science class.
  Miss Tina met us there, once they were set up Mum left Miss Ili and Miss Tina to man the event while she came home to care for the rest of us. When the event was over Miss Tina took Miss Ili home, and came to the shelter with all the stuff and M & M. Miss Tina helped get all the stuff put away and the fur kids into the shelter. Mum keeps telling us how blessed we are to have so many volunteers to help her take care of us. Thanks Miss Ili and Miss Tina for taking time out of your day to sit there with M & M at the Tails on Trails event. We appreciate you doing that so Mum can be home with us doing what needs doing here at the shelter.
  Now I need to get REALLY serious - Mum says so - she's the boss around here - well we let her think so anyway. I have 2 things she wants me to cover.
  The Annual Ferret Fuzzbutt Tune-up and Picnic day formally known and clinic day is right around the corner on June 10th. It is a day of fun and food, with ferrets all over the place. OFD will be here to do check ups and vaccines, implants if needed. If you want your fur kids to see OFD you need to register them with Mum, email her at ferretfarm@frontiernet.net to get the forms sent to you. If you want to come with your fuzzbutts just to hang out and not see OFD you need only to show up to have a great day.
  We sent out a request for board member applicants, Mum has gotten lots of questions about what is required so she asked me to answer the questions that came in:

A. The board meetings are every other month
B. The meetings are electronic
C. The meetings start on the 3rd Monday at noon and end the following Monday

Iin other words you go into the board meeting see what is needed from your point of view, ask, answer or comment on what is on the agenda for that month. Mum tries to get into the meeting every day (you don't need to) so she can answer or comment as the concerns come in. Once you have done your part in the meeting you are finished until the next meeting.

D. We must have one face to face meeting a year, we try to do that in August, if we have a board member out of state we will do face time at the meeting with that member at the time of the face to face meeting.
E. The members needed at this time are not officer roll positions, so your time would be on the board to help make decisions, as issues come up. A quorum is required by law to continue our not for profit status.

There, I hope Mum is happy now! I think I have all there is to report, done. If not I am sure Daisy or Mum will let me know!

Gotta Bounce - Lance - Senior Reporter

Dear Lakeroad Ferret Farm Rescue/Shelter friends:
  Because the Shelter is a charitable and educational corporation registered with the IRS, we must have an active Board of Directors who makes policy and assures the Shelter has adequate funding to address our mission: 1). Educate folks about domestic ferrets, 2.) Rescue and provide shelter for ferrets, and 3.) Facilitate adoption of ferrets into homes knowledgeable about the challenges and magic of our furry friends.
  Yes, the decisions and the activity of the Board of Directors are critical to the Shelter’s success! And we are always ferreting for new board directors who would like to contribute time, talent, and/or treasure to the well-being of the Shelter. How about you?
  The board holds CYBER meetings so that distance from the Shelter site does not impede board membership and participation. Unlike some charity boards, the Shelter board does not have a monetary contribution we expect our board members to make. We do need board members who will help us in creative ways in fundraising activities - creative is the key. And we need board members who will promote ferret well-being in their local communities while offering to add their professional skills to the Shelter. How could you contribute to the continued success of the Shelter?
  Don’t pass up this opportunity to work with a fun-loving, positive group of folks dedicated to the well-being of ferrets. Volunteer your interest to Brenda Johnson, Shelter Director by email. ferretfarm@frontiernet.net
  And Fuzz-Butt thanks!

November, December 2016, January 2017

Hey cyber friends and supporters, I would like to introduce you to Lance, he is a bouncy fellow with springs on his feet and a orange strip down his back. I am helping him learn how to do the news, I am getting tired, slowing down and ornery at times. Mum says I was born in 2007 - I am 10 yrs old - Mum says I can consider retiring from doing the news. I thought this would be a good time to introduce you to Lance as well as the two newest volunteers that come help at the shelter. Daniel and Lexa both ride on the Big Yellow Thingy that Mum drives. They come on Saturdays to help.
  Lance here, Daisy said I could try doing this report all by myself! Check out the new kids on the block, with their story on how they got here. Mayhem and Malice. Mum calls them M & M cause she does not like their names.. Mum told me the pictures of when they first got here and after they were feeling better is all up on our site now.. thanks Miss Tori
  Mum got a call from The Ontario County Humane society, on Feb 15th telling her they have 2 ferrets that need a place to go. Mum being the great Mum she is; told them bring them in! When Mum got the call she did not know at the time they were a animal abandonment and cruelty case. That makes all the difference, they do not belong to us until a judge says so!
  They had a rough start, Mum had them on all kinds of meds and fluids. They would not eat. The trouble was Mum did not know what they had been being fed, so she had 4 food dishes in the sick pen with 4 different kinds of food. Mum even tired the yucky different colors cat food! Their health was up and down for a while, they would be okay for a day or so, then back to being sick. Mum was dropper feeding them soup and giving them fluids to keep them going.
  Mum took them to Our Favorite Doc on the 22nd for checkup and vaccines, Mum had them all better by then so OFD did do the vaccines. OFD was pleased with their progress.
  Mum got word that M & M have been turned over to Ontario County Humane society/us so they now belong to Lakeroad Ferret Farm Rescue Shelter - Mum says she is going to change their names to Maria and Mario. When they first got here they did not know how to be ferrets, they are learning, Mum is teaching them. Mario was out and about, saw Mum move he dove under the couch! Maria was dancing with Mum then jumped into the box of marbles to roll around in them.
  Mum now has to keep them out of her space because Mario gets up on her desk then cleans if off. she told him she appreciates that he wants to help her get her desk cleaned off but she prefers to do it herself.
  They are good to go, safe, clean and happy fuzz butts ready to find themselves a new forever home.
  Miss Donna D. was here helpen one Saturday she got to meet M and M - Mayhem AKA Maria fell in love with Miss Donna, she fell asleep in Miss Donnas arms. Miss Donna let both M & M crawl up her pant legs. They had a grand time hanging out with Miss Donna.
  Once again we got a message from SCAT Inc; they were having their own Lonely Hearts Club last Valentine’s Day. Miss Sharon asked Mum to send her the names of 3 of us that would like to receive Valentine gifts. Mum sent the three of us newest fur kids that have come to the shelter: June, Raine, Shasta.
  The Box of things SCAT Inc sent got here before Valentine's Day... Mum got pictures of us checking out the stuffs. Thanks Miss Sharon and Miss Mary Beth for helpen our Mum take care of us... Here is their Facebook page.
  I need to tell you all about Mum's day at Genesee Community College (GCC) March 1.
  Mum went to help teach the Vet Tech classes about us ferrets, I did not get to go. Mr. T, Bonnie and Clyde, Jax and Penelope, and Junior did get to go.. Miss Donna D. took care of the shelter while Mum was gone. When Miss Donna left, when Mum went to bed. All of the ferrets that went with Mum filled me in on the day they spent in class with college students.
  Mum got lots of pictures throughout the day. I've added the link to the web site of class pictures for you to see. Mum said they were two great classes; very engaging and fun to work with. There was a new instructor for the class - Miss Dani - awesome person knows a ton about us ferrets, Mr. T gave me that information, he said Miss Dani kept telling Mum she was going to take him home, she held and loved on him lots. Mum says it was fun to have her in class, they worked off each other. Mum would explain a medical problem we've had here at the shelter, Miss Dani would put it into medical terms for the students, since they are going into the animal medical profession that is a good thing . All the fur kids that went with Mum said It was a great day, they got lots and lots of love.
  I would like to share the four newest fur kids that came in at the end of January. Jax and Penelope and Flume AKA Farnsworth and Odessa. Farnsworth was sick when he got here, a vet diagnosed Insulinoma.. that is why he and his sissy were transferred to us from Rochester Animal Services. Mum took his BG - agreed with the diagnoses then got him on medicine. He was thin and weak when he came in but is doing better. Farnsworth is active and eating duck soup with meds two times a day all on his own. He has gained some weight. Mum is thrilled with his progress.
  The rest of the new arrivals are adjusting well to shelter life, learning that each room has a really cool dig box of sorts and all kinds of toys and tubes to run in and lots of blankies in places to sleep when they get tired of playing. Jax loves the rice box and jumps every barrier he can to find himself in trouble.
  Mum says we are over full.. but Mum does not ever turn away a municipality or facility transfer when contacted. We do what we can to help, knowing that most places do not specialize in ferrets and we know Mum does!
  Now I have some very important information.. Daisy said I need to say that to get you notice the important stuff we tell you.

1) Our Annual Ferret Fuzzbutt Tune-up and Picnic formally called clinic day is scheduled to happen on June 10, 2017, starts at 10 goes till Mum drops, usually about 4 pm. We would love for you to join us for the day. Registration forms will be sent via electronic mail as you request them. If you are not sure what goes on you can check it out here.
  Mum with the help of Miss Sue B and Miss Tori is putting together a laundry soap campaign to run from April 30th till Ferret Fuzzbutt Tune-up day. That is when tickets will be drawn in the afternoon. You are not required to attend fuzzbutt day to participate in the raffle. More information on this as it gets closer. Prizes that have already been donated for this campaign have come from Miss Mary Ellen, Miss Sandy G and Dr. Charlie K. Mum says she is going to dig through all the boxes of ferrety stuff that are left over from when she had the store to see what else she can come up with for this raffle. We are down to 4 jugs of laundry soap from the 2012 raffle we had. Everyone was so generous in making sure we had laundry soap to keep our bedding clean. Mum does a minimum of 3 loads of laundry a day 365 days a year and that is just our laundry.. sometimes she gets to do her own when she gets our caught up.

2) One more way you can help Mum take care of us; Miss Sue Kingsbauer works as an independent consultant for an energy company that lets customers earn free energy with 15 customer referrals. She has been working to help Mum and the Lakeroad Ferret Farm Rescue Shelter qualify for free energy. To date, she has enrolled 10 customers to help us. She needs 5 individuals who would be willing to sign up for this to get us free electric. it costs nothing to do this, Miss Sue fills out the paperwork and YOU get to save money on your electric bill too when you sign up! If you are a skeptic like Mum and some of our shelter friends were you can talk to them to see that it really does work! They save money on their bill and the shelter saves money on ours. Or you can also call Miss Sue K at this number to see what it is all about 585-374-8032. Like I said Miss Sue has 10 people already signed up to help us with our electric bill 5 more will get us FREE electric, that would mean Mum would have more money to buy us more food and stuff we need.

Okay I have Daisy pacing and hissing at me because she says this news is too long!
Gonna bounce till next time,
  Lance

November, December 2016, January 2017

  Okay! Okay so it's 2017 and I didn't get the news out in a timely manner.. lots of things going on here at the shelter, the most troubling was Mum was very sick.. so sick she called her doctor! Mum does not like doctors, rarely uses doctors and when she does she sometimes gives them a hard time. But Mum did not give her doctor a hard time she did what she was told. Mum was on lots of medicines and was out of work for a bit.
  That said over Christmas vacation Mum took lots of naps when she felt run down, it seems to have done the trick she is back to being Mum and doing what she does best... take care of us.
  The time sure has flown by! Back in the good weather time, we had lots of volunteers drop by to help. Miss Sandy and Mr. Bruce helped Mum get some cages that came in wrapped in stretch wrap, Mum already had them cleaned up. Miss Donna D takes care of our property makes it look all pretty, she trims bushes, cuts the lawn, weed eats around things and most of all keeps our play yard ready for us to go hang out in. Miss Marcia and Miss Ili help Mum clean up our enrichment rooms, clean and replenish food stations and such, steam mop floors, cut nails. Miss Tina B. helps with extras, this time she took cage doors off of the cages - we kids were out of the cage - to the bathroom and gave them a shower and a scrub. Then she helped Mum treat everyone of us with Revolution. Long distance volunteers like Miss Donna D. collects news papers for Mum so we always have poopy papers to use, instead of the floor.. most of the time. Miss Sheilla S. takes care of our Facebook page, Miss Tori G. takes care of our Website. Miss Patty S. does research for Mum when she needs it. Thanks everybody for helpen Mum take care of us.
  We had our barn clean up day - Miss Ili, Mr. Bob, Mr. Charlie, Master Reilly, Miss Brie, Miss Donna, Miss Janette, came for the day to help Mum get the barn cleaned out.. Many years ago we had a barn sale; 2007 to be exact; and the stuff that did not get sold was still sitting out there.. you can see how the day went and what was accomplished here.
  Max and Princess - went to a new home, they are having a grand time hanging out with their new family; you can read their updates and see the pictures that their new Mom took for Mum here.
  The GoFundMe campaign for the shelter van has slowed to a stop; Mum is thinking it is time to take that down and do what she can to finish up the payments. We had hoped we could get the van paid off so Mum would have more shelter funds to pay for what we need. We are not going without so don't fret.
  Mum put 14 of our new shelter arrivals on the giving tree this year, they all had a Santa - you can see how many shelters and fur kids were available if you wish.
  Now that it is January you can check our website and Facebook to see all the presents we got from all the folks that made sure we had a grand Christmas.
  SCAT contacted Mum asking if we had anyone that they could add to their Angel Tree, we could submit 3 fur kids. Mum sent her the information and we got lots of filters to keep all our fountains clean, from Miss Mary Beth A. Thanks Miss Mary Beth!
  Henry, one of us that found a new forever home is roaming the country side with his family again. Here is the link to see where he has been and where he is going.
  Mum when driving the big yellow thingy runs the roads all over Naples, when she picked up some students at one of her stops she saw a bed for small children, better known to the humans that hang around Mum; as 2 legged furless kids, sitting in the front yard. Mum asked the Mom of the students why it was there. Mum was told it was out there for anyone that wants it for free. Mum asked if we could have it. After Mum finished her run with the big yellow thingy she went back up in the hills to fetch that bed for us. We love that bed!
  Miss Tina B. came to see us on a Saturday to help Mum around the shelter. Our round fountain in the library sprang a leak, Mum was blaming us for making the mess... she thought we were playing in the water. She would clean up all the water on the floor, fill the fountain again. Shortly later, there would be more water all over the floor. The third time Mum decided it was not us making the mess, it was the fountain leaking. The Becker family brought us a new fountain a long time ago; but because we live in a very old house we have limited electric outlets. Mum had fountains in all the rooms that she could plug fountains in, so she put the new one away for another day... that day came on Saturday. Miss Tina got our new fountain up and running for us. Thanks to the Becker family we did not have to go without a fountain for more than a few hours. Mum says we are blessed to have so many help Mum take care of us. The pictures are of Miss Tina with Pheona, who did not want much loving, she only wanted to play. Wilson on the other hand would have stayed in Miss Tina's arms all day.
  Miss Tina has been here lots to help, she discovered the first time she came, Mum has many things that need doing and she wanted to come as often as she could before the weather got really bad. Winter on the east coast can really slow things down a bit. Miss Tina lives up north where the weather gets worse than we get here in Naples.
  Mum was contacted by an artist looking for some pictures of one of us, the artist wanted to turn that picture into a portrait for her "52 rescues". Louise was chosen for that portrait.
  Mum and Louise put their heads together and sent that portrait to Miss Kathy and Miss Marilyn in California - they are Louise's far away Moms. We thought they should have that portrait.
  Mum took in a new fur kid that was very sick. The family that had him could not afford any more medical bills so they called Mum to see if she could help. Mum told them to take Junior - AKA - June to Our Favorite Doc. fill out the surrender papers and Mum and OFD would do their best to help June get better. He is now one crazy little dude. A happy well adjusted healthy boy.
  We had lots of campers at the end of 2016 - right now there are none, but the Blair girls will be coming the weekend of the 16th to hang with us at camp.
  Miss Tori got our picture link working. Remember our web hosting site was changed over and the picture part was not working properly.. Miss Tori our Web Master is stupendous at keeping our site updated and working the way it is supposed to.
  Mum says I need to close this news .. I told her there are 3 months to cover but Mum is the boss or so she thinks, so I will sign off and say Tata for now, until we meet again, Happy New Year!
  Daisy
  Senior reporter for the Lakeroad Ferret Farm