My mother died in 1993. I was devastated. She had been my best friend my whole life, and then she was gone. I became very depressed, so decided I needed a pet to help me. I'm really allergic to cats, and we were living in a small apartment, so the size dog I like was out. I saw an ad for a ferret in the Classifieds. I had wanted a ferret since I was 16, so now, when the opportunity presented itself I got a ferret. About a month later, I was at a pet store getting food for my new buddy, Bosley, when I saw some baby ferrets. I picked out the only one who was not leaping around like a crazy critter, but when I got him home, he showed his true colors. After about a month of trying to discipline him using verbal cues, I figured out that he was deaf. He shortly became my favorite ferret I have ever had. BooBoo lived until he was six years old when he died from a stroke.

Since 1993, I have run ferret shelters in Eugene, Oregon and Juneau, Alaska. I have personally owned 24 ferrets. I have cared for more than 100 ferrets in total. Within the past year with shelter, we have taken in over 60 ferrets and placed 45 in new forever homes.