While chatting online today with a Facebook friend named Jane, I found out about her newly adopted ferret named Stamps. Jane and her husband Craig, volunteer at the Big Lick Ferret Shelter & Hospice in Roanoke Virginia. As well as providing care for the shelter ferrets, Jane and Craig care for 16 additional ferrets in their own private home. Over the years they have acquired these ferrets under different circumstances. This story however is quite unique.

"Stamps" the ferret

It starts out with the local post office in Lynchburg , Virginia. A few hours after postal workers received an overnight package destined for Puerto Rico, the package started moving … and vibrating. The shocked workers immediately notified postal inspector David McKinney. McKinney knew that whatever was inside the package was alive and in violation of the law. Evidently, it is ok to send chicks through the mail as long as the package has proper markings and ventilation (who knew?). This particular package had neither.

McKinney first attempted to contact the sender and the recipient by telephone but could not find a directory listing. Next, McKinney drove the package to the sender’s address listed on the shipping documents. When he arrived at the address, he found a vacant home which was listed for sale. Obviously, the sender and receiver did not want to be found. At this point, the only option left was to open the package with the aid of the local police and animal control (years earlier, a python was found by this same office).

Opening the 10 lb , 13″ x 13″ package produced a squirmy ferret along with a wire cage, food, dietary supplements, a ferret toy and a package of Benadryl with one pill missing. Presumably, the sender gave the ferret a Benadryl to knock him out for the 24 hour voyage. So, why would somebody who invested in a ferret, cage, food and a $68 postal bill not want to be found? Because ferrets are illegal on the island of Puerto Rico. McKinney finally handed the ferret over to the Roanoke Regional Center for Animal Control and Protection – where it stayed for 13 days. The center affectionately named the furry “Stamps” and placed him up for adoption.

This brings us back to Jane and her husband Craig. They had already heard about Stamps. As a matter of fact, they just missed taking the call from McKinney two weeks earlier. When Jane and Craig found out that Stamps was available for adoption, they gladly paid the $25 adoption fee and brought him home.

A part of me can’t help but feel a little bit bad for the originally intended receiver of the Stamps. This person obviously wanted a little furry rascal for a companion. However, aside from these reckless and illegal actions, it is doubtful that Stamps could have received the proper nutrition and veterinary that he deserves, while living in Puerto Rico.

He certainly has a good home now.

The original story can be found at The Roanoke Times.