Mira Press Release – August, 1997
Help Make a MIRAcle
She’ll never walk normally. But for this tiny domestic ferret, having so far survived is already a success story.
The 13 week old pet was stepped on in mid-August, dislocating her entire shoulder blade. Worse, she had apparently had bleach spilled on her back, shoulders, front legs, and underside. Unable to find a vet in the New Haven area who treated ferrets and unable to pay for care, the owner attempted to do what she could. But by the time the animal reached the Ferret Association of Connecticut, Inc. (FACT) a non-profit educational organization and ferret shelter in Hartford, the bleach burns had become severe.
“I’d never seen an animal in this condition,” said FACT President Ann M. Gruden. “Our veterinarian, Dr. Barrios of the East Hartford Animal Clinic, did a wonderful job cleaning her up. But it will take weeks for the burns to heal.” Only then can reconstructive surgery to return the shoulder blade to its proper place be attempted. Now under the care of FACT, special gel bandages must be kept on the wounds and changed daily. The diaper-like pads used as bedding must also be regularly changed to keep her environment as clean as possible and prevent infection.
“She’s a baby,” says Gruden of the newly christened Mira – short for Miracle. “The good part is, being so young is helping her heal more quickly than an older animal could. The sad part is that, at an age when she should be running and playing like any baby animal, all she knows is pain and hurt.”
FACT, Inc. is seeking a veterinarian with expertise in similar reconstructive surgery to monitor Mira’s shoulder blade dislocation and determine when and what repairs can be made. Public donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law and can be mailed to “The Mira Fund” at FACT, Inc.
