People who want to help out ferret shelters just got a boost to their buying power at Totally Ferret. The manufacturer of ferret food, ferret treats and other ferret products announced a new donation program that runs through 2008. Its tentative name is “The Forest Special,” in honor of Forest the ferret, the office mascot.
People who contact the company to donate food or other Totally Ferret products to a ferret shelter now have their money put in their chosen shelter’s Totally Ferret account. Donations must be made in $5 increments. The company then contacts the shelter to alert the operator that a donation has been made. The name of the donator is forwarded at this time, unless he or she wishes to remain anonymous.
The donated money remains in the account until the ferret shelter operator chooses products to be sent. The benefit of this method is that when the shelter orders, it receives the shelter discounts that Totally Ferret has in place (free shipping and a discounted price). Previously, individuals who ordered items and had them sent to shelters as a donation had some of their donation money eaten away due to paying full price and shipping costs.
Totally Ferret maintains a database of ferret shelters. If a shelter isn’t listed there, the shelter operator simply needs to contact Totally Ferret to get registered.
The idea was born when someone contacted Totally Ferret to make a donation to the Lakeroad Ferret Farm Rescue/Shelter. Even though the product went to a ferret shelter, the shelter discounts didn’t apply. “A light bulb went off,” said April Pietroiacovo, a company spokesperson. And so The Forest Special was created. The program continues through December 2008, at which point the company will evaluate whether or not to continue it.