From:
The Ferret Aid Society
Date: 2002-06-27 10:02:00 UTC
Subject: Fw: FAST - Harley has gone to the Rainbow Bridge]
i'm not feeling like writing or reading e-mails right now, but i thought you
deserved to know. thank you for all your support.
Randy Melanie Belair
President
The Ferret Aid Society
"For The Love of Our Fuzzy Friends"
http://www.ferretaid.org
: > From: Cindy <sind@s...>
: > Date: 2002/06/26 Wed PM 06:33:48 EST
: > To: <ferret-list@c...>
: > Subject: FAST - Harley has gone to the Rainbow Bridge
: >
: > *Note - BIG - This might be a bit late but I am hoping you can get this
in the
: > next FML*
: >
: > Randy of The Ferret Aid Society asked me to post on her behalf as she is
too overwhelmed with grief at the moment to post herself.
: >
: > Harley has passed on to the Rainbow Bridge today, Wednesday June 26th.
: >
: > Many of you have met Harley (and Randy) in real life and many of you
know Harley from his weekly posts here at the FML updating everyone on the
shelter.
: >
: > Harley had begun to develop breathing problems earlier this week but
Harley has had ongoing breathing problems since the shelter got him back in
June of 1997. Randy was concerned but had decided to wait to see how he was
since Harley was such a tough, strong guy. At 3:00 am last night she became
concerned because his tongue and feet were beginning to turn purple. Randy
took Harley to Guelph
: > Vet Hospital. They put him on Oxygen for the night until Dr. Taylor
arrived today. Dr. Taylor decided to leave Harley on the oxygen for the
morning. In the afternoon they took Harley off the oxygen in order to
perform blood tests
: > and xrays. They had just put Harley back on oxygen when the Cardiologist
came by to have a look at him. Harley suddenly stopped breathing and could
not be brought back. Randy is driving there this evening to see Harley and
to say
: > goodbye.
: >
: > Harley arrived at FAST in June of 1997 a victom of terrible violence,
neglect and abuse. For the full story please see the web site at
www.ferretaid.org/harley He would have been 7 years old this month. Randy
had planned to have a birthday party for him.
: >
: > Due to Harleys ongoing nasel problems, the fact that he had very little
motion in his jaw so could not protect himself and had to be fed soft food,
Harley was never adopted out. Instead, he became a mascot for FAST and an
Icon to many
: > people around the world.
: >
: > Over the years there has sometimes been critizism of the lengths Randy
has gone to in order to get treatment for Harley. Sometimes the opinons were
that she should put him down. Sometimes people were not kind. Yes, she went
to
: > lengths but this little guy...this 2 pound ball of fluff....he had more
will to live, more spirit, more drive and determination than I have seen in
many ferrets. His humour and his energy never ceased to amaze me. He came
from such terrible abuse yet you never would have known. He wanted to live.
Time and time again Harley came bouncing back from illness.
: >
: > And Randy....she has been Harley's guardian angel in a world that had
all but abandoned him until she came into his life. No wonder she acted as
his protector all these years.
: >
: > I remember once, being at a Pet Show a few years ago and there was a
sketch artist drawing pictures of animals. Paige and I decided to get a
picture drawn of Harley but we wanted it to be a surprise to Randy. I asked
her if I could
: > take Harley and if she would trust him with me. She let me take him and
it was only after I got back that I found out she had been pacing and
worrying the entire time we were gone....getting more and more wound up as
time went by.
: >
: > I could tell more stories...I am sure many people here could tell
stories and perhaps that is a good thing to do right now. Randy is
suffering from so much grief...she told me she feels she has let him down
somehow, that she did not do enough for him, that he was her best friend.
She protected him, nurtured him, took care of him and poured so much love
and tenderness into this ferret. Perhaps some of you could remind her now
with your stories of what you saw with Randy and Harley. She laughed today,
if only for a moment, when I reminded her of the pet show.
: >
: > Harley came into Randy's life so damaged. She saved him, protected him,
cared for him and loved him with all her heart. She stood by him in the face
of enormous odds, giving him her courage and her strength.
: >
: > I think she could use some of ours, as a community, now.
: >
: > Randy can be contacted at ferretaid@f...
: >
: >
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