Miracle ferret defies odds at Rugeley rescue centre
A Staffordshire animal rescue is reminding people that it is not just puppies and kittens who are victims of breeding for profit schemes.
One Voice for Animals UK is campaigning to improve awareness about the welfare of domestic rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters and other pet rodents.
Chase Ferret Rescue in Rugeley, Staffordshire, had a kit surrendered to them in late November.
Despite her owners paying a considerable amount of money for her, the little female had deformities in her legs, ribs and spine.
She also had a digestive blockage which made her too ill to be operated on at first.
Angela Taylor, who runs Chase Ferret Rescue, had to provide regular feeds and medication night and day to get the young ferret strong enough for the surgery.
Angela said :“She should never have been sold. The health problems this little girl had to face at such a young age was devastating to see.
"Most of her litter mates didn’t make it as far as she did. We called her Christmas Miracle in the hope that we could provide one for her.”
Fortunately the surgery was a success and Christmas Miracle was well enough to be spayed at Christmas, just before she came into season.
Rehabilitating her has come at a huge cost, however, with the vet bill alone standing at nearly £1,000.
Val Green, founder of One Voice for Animals UK, said: “Unlicensed breeders selling through the internet aren’t subject to any regulations, legislation or welfare checks, and they often provide no care advice to their customers.
"If you see an irresponsible online advert for any animal, there is guidance on how to report it on our website at www.helpanimals.co.uk/campaigns.”
One Voice for Animals UK was launched in April 2020 to support the UK’s small rescue centres which are struggling due to the Covid crisis.
