Benny’s Story

One evening, while spending time with my older sister and cousin, they saw a friend's Snapchat story about a loose ferret in our town. Earlier that day, I had come across a Facebook post about the same ferret. It was a white ferret with brown eyes, roaming around outside an apartment building. People asked me if it was my albino ferret named Teddy, but he was safe at home.

On that late weekend night around 11 pm, I managed to persuade my sister and cousin to join me in searching for the ferret. When we arrived, it was dark, and we had no idea where to look. With the help of our phone flashlights, we found the little ferret in a small pipe under a sidewalk. Gradually, I lured the ferret out of the pipe with some food I had brought and managed to get it into the kennel I had brought from home. I didn't have a plan, but I knew I needed to help him. I took him in for the night, and the next morning we took him to the vet. The vet informed us that there was nothing wrong with him and that he was most likely abandoned. I spent days looking for the owner, making Facebook posts and going from house to house, but I never found them.

At that point, I had become too attached to let him go, so he became a part of the family. We named him Benny, as my sister wanted a name that rhymed with Teddy, and I liked the name. It wasn't difficult taking him in, as thankfully I had all the supplies I needed for him. I kept him and Teddy for a few years until I made the decision to rehome them to a better home. I felt I didn't have enough time for them anymore, and they deserved the best. Although I miss them a lot, I know they have a better life now, and I will never regret having them.

Caring for them taught me a lot, not only about responsibility but also about how easily an animal can be abandoned and become homeless. According to the Toronto Humane Society, 40,000 animals enter shelters in Ontario every year. Animal abandonment is a serious problem across the country, with many factors contributing to it. There are ways to combat animal abandonment, such as strengthening animal protection laws, promoting responsible pet ownership, supporting low-cost spay/neuter programs, and expanding resources for pet owners. If you can't keep your pet anymore, surrender them to a shelter where they can find a new home.

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