Message Number: SG3174 | New FHL Archives Search
From: Pam Sessoms
Date: 2003-02-05 01:48:01 UTC
Subject: Find a ferret vet by ZIP code
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <Pine.A41.4.44+UNC.0302042046070.39904-100000@login4.isis.unc.edu>

Many of you are already aware of the FHL's list of good ferret vets; these
vets were suggested by members of this list. The list has always been
arranged by state (except for a few international vets). When I am trying
to help someone find a vet, I often have found it to be a little
time-consuming to use lists like this. The small towns can be hard to
find quickly using books or online mapping programs, and I simply don't
have a terribly good spatial sense of where things are! Sometimes the
closest vet might even be in another state.

Taking that into account, my husband Eric and I have been working on
creating a little web application that will allow searching by ZIP code
and will return a list sorted by distance. This project is still pretty
new, but I think it is ready for its first use by real people. When it
seems to be in good shape, I will probably do away with the list in the
Files area and replace that file with a pointer to the ZIP code locator.
Don't worry - the ZIP code locator does have a link that will let you
browse the plain flat text file by state. Non-US vets aren't in the ZIP
code database, obviously, but there is a text file to browse for them too.
No functionality will be lost.

Please take a look at it:

http://fhl.sonic-weasel.org/vets/

Let me know of problems. I've also quickly written a FAQ that should
answer many questions.

Incidentally, I know I've been slow with updates to the vet's list. That
was because of work on this new project and difficulty keeping two
separate lists up to date. I haven't written personal replies to the last
several people with new vets or updates, but the last vets I have added or
changed are: Edling, Osborn, Kamaka, Thomazin, Kraft, Shiel, Angel de la
Torre. If you sent me another one, and it's not in the list now, please
e-mail me again!

(I also just updated the compounding pharmacists list, so if you don't see
yours in there, let me know.)

Best wishes,
-Pam S.