Rio the ferret has seen hard times before. This friendly little sable was found abandoned in a garage and turned over to the Humane Society, which gave her to the Ferret Rescue Society of Ottawa. We found a home for her, along with her new friend Bob, where she was loved and happy. Unfortunately her family's circumstances changed, and Rio was returned to us. She is still a delightful ferret - but now she is fighting for her life.
Rio has always been healthy, but on Friday, May 15th she started panting to breathe. When this continued, Rio's foster Mom brought her to the vet in Alta Vista. Rio has been x-rayed, and has been in an oxygen tent since Sunday morning. She is being treated with different antibiotics as the vet struggles to diagnose and heal her. Severe pneumonia is suspected, but this is an unusual case, and nothing has been confirmed. Meanwhile, Rio is still eating well, and still giving her loving kisses to those who care for her. She is too young and too much of a fighter for us to give up on her easily.
The problem for us is that Rio's care is very expensive. The FRSO relies entirely on donations, and our budget is very small. When disaster strikes, we have to weigh the merits of bankrupting ourselves treating one seriously ill ferret against the consequences of depriving multiple other ferrets of less expensive but vital medical care.
This is where you have an opportunity to be Rio's champion. While we don't normally bother people by asking for money, in this special case we are pleading with you to give any amount of money you can to help with Rio's care. We want this sweet ferret to be healthy again - and we want to be able to continue to help other, equally deserving ferrets as well. Every bit helps.
By donating, you are not only helping Rio, you are also helping other ferrets. Rio's situation is medically unusual, and by treating her, the vet will gain knowledge that could help other ferrets in the same situation. With Rio's medical costs offset by your donations, our other ferrets in need of care won't be denied because of a lack of resources. And by helping the FRSO to survive this crisis without being plunged deeply into debt, you help ensure that we will continue to be there for Rio, and all her present and future shelter buddies.
There are three easy ways you can make a donation to help Rio.
1) You can make a donation via CanadaHelps.org and receive an instant tax receipt.
2) You can make a payment via Paypal by going to our website and clicking on the Paypal Donate Now button.
3) You can mail a cheque payable to the Ferret Rescue Society of Ottawa and Area to us at PO BOX 39034, 2265 Riverside Dr. Ottawa, ON K1H 1A1
Please help Rio. She'd kiss you if she could!
