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PHFR NEWS, INFORMATION, PHOTOS

PHFR is the ranch chinchilla outreach program of MM. CbC details the facts of pelting today, FAQ's explains what PHFR is, how it works and why it succeeds. Anyone interested in starting their own PHFR project is welcome to notify us. Support PHFR by donating or posting the above logo with a link to this page. ON THIS PAGE: *The Latest PHFR News, Project/s, Photos *PHFR Project History, Reports and Photos: 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008 *PHFR Process Summary *Qualifying/ Applying to Foster or Adopt PHFR Ranchies THE LATEST PHFR NEWS, PROJECT/S, PHOTOS See this page for the 2008 PHFR Projects! PHFR PROCESS SUMMARY (laying groundwork, pickup and adjustment period, entering the pet community) LAYING GROUNDWORK The project leader initiates communication with the ranch, finds out how many at-risk chinchillas there are and ascertains the rancher's wholesale prices, then arrives at the MM purchase price which would be somewhere between pelt and wholesale pet prices. After that, the project leader and teammembers (if there are others needed/ able to work with the project leader), discuss roles (transporting, fostering, etc.) and work out pickup times with the ranch. The project leader or teammembers can do pickup at the ranch depending on what's feasible and with regard to the rancher's privacy requests and personal schedule. PICKUP AND ADJUSTMENT PERIOD Ranchies are picked up in carriers and taken to the home of the project leader or teammember to begin the adjustment period: 1) To become accustomed to the domestic environment, 2) To become socialized to people, 3) To become socialized with their own kind by being paired with a same-sex cagemate (chinchillas are herd animals in the wild). During this adjustment period, which can last anywhere from one to several weeks depending on the adjustment progress of the individuals, they are at first kept in a carrier or small cage that is a size improvement over their tiny ranch cage but is not so overwhelming as to introduce too much change, too quickly; that can cause death from acute shock. When it's ascertained that they're confident and ready, they're moved up to a larger sized cage with multiple levels, shelves, and cage accessories such as hammocks, houses, exercise wheels, etc. At either the small cage or large cage stage, they're given out-of-cage exercise time so they can learn how to run, jump and explore; things they didn't get to do on the ranch but that their future chinparent will expect them to know in their new life as a pet chinchilla. ENTERING THE PET COMMUNITY After the ranchies have completed the adjustment period AND developed a confident, resilient disposition that will allow them to make another transition, then they're made eligible for adoption (from the project leader or teammembers) or fostering (cared for by a foster worker until they are adopted) by the pet community. For the future welfare of these ranch chinchillas, requirements are made of both foster workers and adopters. Requirements include the use of an adoption contract, acknowledgement that these ranchies will not be used for breeding and the understanding that an adoption fee will be charged. QUALIFYING/ APPLYING TO FOSTER OR ADOPT PHFR RANCHIES (fostering, adopting) We reserve the right to refuse to allow fostering/ adoption to anyone for any reason, without expressed cause. It should go without saying, but only healthy chinchillas will be taken off the ranch and made available to the pet community; there is no need to "quarantine." Ranchers do take measures to ensure their herd stays healthy, it prevents epidemics and protects their business investment. It is important that those doing foster care and the adoption candidates recognize that the ranchies will not leave the PHFR project leader or teammember's care unless they are in superb health, have successfully completed the adjustment period and developed a confident, resilient disposition that will allow them to successfully make the transition to foster care or adoption. Problems that are not immediately reported by new adopters or those doing foster care within the first 12 hours after dropoff will be considered the sole responsibility of the new adopters or those doing foster care. MM and the PHFR project leader/ teammembers are not liable for problems or expenses incurred after that time has passed. The temperament of ranch chinchillas will vary both from ranch to ranch and animal to animal. People can generalize or speculate but it is NOT true that all ranch chinchillas are anti-social due to their relative isolation and lack of interaction (socialization) with people or other chins on the ranch, in fact, ranchers often focus their breeding efforts to produce chinchillas of good temperament. FOSTERING Foster workers must be chinchilla owners of at least one year experience, preferably rescue workers with experience in dealing with under-socialized chins. Contact the PHFR project leaders with an example of your adoption contract which must include mention that: PHFR project ranchies are to be regarded as NFB, Not For Breeding Mandating an adoption fee of no less than 50 USD (charging more is strongly adviseable to avoid inflicting the "less valuable" stigma) per chinchilla to be charged to the adopter. Adoption fees are imposed as a way of proving financial competence on the part of the adopter and the fee reimburses the foster worker, project leader or teammember for the caretaking expenses (veterinary, accomodations, transportation, routine care expenses, etc.) incurred while the chinchilla was in their care. FTGH is not an option, it puts a chin's life in danger. Use of an adoption contract and care sheet when adopting out. Using our adoption contract (.doc) and care sheet (.doc) is acceptable. ADOPTING (Review these points FIRST!) Notify PHFR project leaders of your state location, the gender and number of ranchies you're interested in adopting, and acknowledge in writing that these ranchies are to be regarded as NFB, not for breeding. Submit the adoption contract (.doc). It is the responsibility of the adopter to arrange to meet and pickup the chin/s they're interested in adopting, there will be no shipping of these ranchies but we may be able to help arrange meetup with a foster worker. We recommend consulting The Chinchilla Railroad or posting on forums to request transportation assistance. The minimum adoption fee of 50 USD per chinchilla is in effect when the adopter is notified of acceptance of their adoption contract. The minimum adoption fee reflects the baseline charge, not the actual or final charge, which may be greater.