Welcome to Lakeroad Ferret Farm Rescue/Shelter, Inc.

Buster

   • Surrendered to the Shelter on June 5, 2017. He found a Forever Home May 25, 2019!
   • Buster was a sable male. He left for the Rainbow Bridge April 2021.

   • He had a far away family in Staten Island, NY!
   • Read about how he arrived at the Shelter by clicking here, or read his latest updates below.

April 21, 2021:
Hi Brenda! How are you?? It's been quite a while since we've "spoke". So much going on here, always so busy!! I'm still with the animal shelter, but we've gone through a re-organization since COVID. We are still super busy and I've been fostering cats and kittens. I hope you have been staying healthy and managing your RA okay. I was so happy the weather was finally starting to warm up...until today! UGH How is the shelter and all the furkids? Still very busy?
  Unfortunately, I'm writing you to share some bad news..My sweet Buster passed away last week. I am absolutely heartbroken, he was such a sweet sweet boy. He wasn't feeling good for a few weeks, just was a little quieter and not eating as much as usual. He was on an antibiotic in case it was an infection or bladder issue. The day he passed, I made him a yummy soupie with softened and mushed food and babyfood. He ate good, and I let him stay in my bedroom to wander. I came back less than an hour later and found him already gone. I was in shock, I was not expecting this. It's been very hard, I miss him so much! I'm so sorry for the bad news. But I wanted you to know. And I also wanted to Thank You for caring for him for so long and for allowing me to adopt him. I knew my time would be shorter with him, but I wouldn't change it one bit. The love he gave and I gave him was special and I'm blessed for the time we did have. When I am ready to adopt again, I will be giving you a call. Right now I am in the homebuying process (fingers crossed I qualify), so it will be a bit... Thank you again for all you do, and for connecting me with Buster. I am forever grateful.
  Jamie

                                                  

December 14, 2019:
Hi Brenda! I've been meaning to contact you for a while now, I hope all is well! How are you doing?
  Buster is doing well. He is my little buddy, so sweet. He really is a special little baby. I just adore him. He had a vet visit in October, I was concerned about his eye. It started getting a little cloudy. Vet confirmed he has a cataract. It started out with just a little cloudiness, and progressed quite fast (within less than a month), and his right eye had very little cloudiness. The vet said there isn't much to do for it, and his vision is likely already affected. I'm super bummed, I don't want him to lose his vision. Since then both eyes have become more cloudy :( It really doesn't seem to bother him Occasionally he would seem surprised when I reached out to pet him, so now I'm careful not to go from above anymore and make sure I talk to him first so I don't startle him. He loves the new house as well. Enjoys walks outside (before it snowed), and loves the playtime in my room. My room is larger now and safe, so I can let him out to run around. He has definitely come out of his shell more, running around, showing me his belly, and sleeping in my sock drawer lol I just love him! I also set up his xpen downstairs so he can hang out with me when we're in the livingroom. I switched his food last month, and he is now eating two different brands. I weaned him and he adjusted well. He's a bit picky with treats, seems to enjoy salmon flavor the most, and enjoys salmon oil.
  I think of you often, and I really miss visiting with you and the ferrets. I haven't been able to make it back to Ontario yet. But sometime in the New Year I will have to plan a trip to stop by and see you all! I hope you have a nice Christmas. Sending you and the furkids much love, and many hugs.
  Jamie, Avery & Buster

May 17, 2019:
Jamie: Hi. Here are photos of the ferret-proofing I've done...Wood under fridge, and around sides of fridge.
  The pieces are nailed together for extra security, and the white piece is being held down by the fridge. The piece of wood on the right side is also held in place by a screw from inside the cabinet, through the cabinet side and into the wood piece.
  Same with the stove, the wood on right side is held in place by two screws from inside the cabinet, through the cabinet side and into the wood piece. The wood underneath it has two holes drilled through each end, where a zip tie is in place, and is secured around the legs of the stove. (I will trim those ends, just wanted you to see how it's secured) The back of the stove was a small space, but I still added two thin pieces of wood. Each piece of wood used vertically ranges from 25-30" in height.
  The bathroom sink cabinet did have a very small space on each side because the cabinet bottom was warped, so I used small pieces of wood, and nailed those in place from the bottom of the cabinet shelf down through the wood pieces. Also attached is a photo of the space in my room where his cage will go, next to my bed.
  Supplies are ready, bedding washed..we're all ready! :)

Shelter Reply: Application received, I need to know the landlord's name and address we need to get a written permission letter from them. Got the pictures, thanks that is very helpful - pictures of the doors you go in and out of the house please windows please. What were you thinking? He's not vetted.. I wanted to get that done on clinic day, I don't have time to get him up to OFD before then. I also need to get in touch with the landlord before he goes anywhere. You left a towel for Buster do you use towels or blanks to sleep in?

Jamie: I have a bunch of bedding for Buster here, he can sleep with the towel I left for him. Permission from my landlord won't be a problem, since he is my moms boyfriend/stepdad (unofficially, but theyve been/live together like 10 years). His name is Steve G. Can I adopt Buster before clinic day. I would absolutely bring him for clinic day to get updated!

May 16, 2019:
Hi! I will have the app filled out tomorrow for you, couldn't figure out how to edit the document on my mini laptop at home, so I'll try again tomorrow on my regular one.
  I'm ready to adopt Buster! :) How soon can you have a home check done? Or can I send you photos? I got a bunch of wood today for any open areas in the kitchen I will secure them into place tomorrow. I also unpacked my ferret supplies and have plenty of bedding. I also have bowls, water bottle, toys, play sack etc. So he'll be all set. I have extra bedding too, so I'll swap out Buster's with some of mine if that's okay.
  If possible, we'd love to take home Buster asap. Can we do that, and still have him checked by the doc at the picnic?
  Thanks so much!

May 15, 2019:
Was great seeing you today, sorry it had been so long! Thanks for letting me come visit Buster. I sure do adore him! Please let me know any other concerns you might have regarding adoption. Can you tell me the names of the foods he's on? As well as any treats he gets?

Shelter Response: It was good to visit - life just gets in the way sometimes. He seems to be happy to let you . VBG I will keep that in mind. Please fill out the adoption form. It's more of a formality for you than anything, I need to keep a paper trail. We use - ZuPreem Premium Ferret Food Diet- (corn free) Marshall Premium Ferret Diet, Purina One Healthy Kitten (ONLY the teal colored bag), Totally Ferret Active Diet and Totally Ferret turkey, venison and lamb. Treats any you put in front of his nose. VBG

January 31, 2019:
  Buster has had some light green poo puddles for a day or two, I started him on Moxy the other day, hi poo is back to normal. He will be on Moxy until the 8th of Feb.

Christmas 2018:

         

Dear Miss Michelle,

  Mum let me open my second box of presents, here are the pictures of me with them. Thoes beds and hammocks are so cool! Soft and Pretty too!
  Thanks for helpen Mum take care of me. Have a warm fuzzy Christmas, and a happy dance New Year!
  Buster

              

September 3, 2017:
  I moved Buster into the ferret room.

August 3, 2017:
  Dear far away Mom and Dad - Mum says a big box came in with my name on it. Mum was up to her ears in construction people, our cold box in the ferret room died last weekend. Mum got us a new one only both the old and the new were an in the wall unit. Mum knew full well she was not going to make that happen.
  Turns out the new unit was 2 inches bigger than the old so they had to make the hole in the wall bigger. Took 4 solid hours. You know that hurricane honing in on Texas, well it came here first right through the shelter - man this place is a mess. Anyway, Mum says she will let me open the box this weekend and she will get pictures of me doing that.
Thanks for picking me to be your far away fur kid.
  Buster

August 3, 2017:
  Dear far away family, Mum tells me you are going to be my far away family. That you live far, far away sometimes on the East coast and sometimes on the West coast. Mum also said you would like to send me some stuffs and I can tell you what I would like.. here is a few links of things that would make me happy and dance the happy dance. Bil-jac Little-jacs Small Dog Treats, Marshall Bandits Premium Ferret Treats, Ferretone.

July 5, 2017:
  Buster is eating soup and kibble on his own we are out of the woods.

July 1, 2017:
  I've had to feed Buster soup with a dropper. He is not eating on his own, I was extremely concerned this morning because he was not pooing a peeing but he is doing that now. I will continue the dropper feedings until I see his face in the kibble dish.

June 30, 2017:
  Doc did send me the pictures of what he took out of Buster I have attached them for you to see. OFD says he has no idea what this is. First time for both of us. One of them was attached to the outside of his intestine the others were just hanging out not attached to anything. They were sent to Washington State pathology to be tested. I put the sick pen up for Buster, it only took 2 weeks before it was needed again. He must stay quiet and not climb anything so the sick pen will give him room to move around without climbing and I can monitor his food intake and his poo output. The first 72 hrs are crucial to keep a close eye on their food intake.

June 15, 2017:
  I made the appointment for Josie and Buster to have their surgery on June 29th Josie has the subcutaneous adenoma on her back, and Buster has a mass on his intestine. OFD found both these issues when he checked them out last Saturday.


Arrival Story:
  We got a call that a ferret was caught in a Have -A- Heart trap, could we come get him. We got this little one home settled him in and expected to hear from the owner about losing their ferret. We never got a call, he was most likely tossed out the backdoor of his home.
  OFD saw him on Fuzzbutt day June 10th, Buster got his vaccines then OFD discovered he had a mass in his belly. We scheduled an appointment for surgery on June 29, 2017.
  OFD found several masses in Buster. One large mass was floating 4 were attached to parts of Busters insides. Buster is hanging in the sick pen for 10 days before he gets returned to his shelter cage.