I am so glad to see that the AFA public persecutions are coinciding with
the Easter holiday season.
 
For the record, AFA is not a policing organization.  AFA does not
recommend or endorse any of the breeders, shelters or vendors at an AFA
hosted/sanctioned shows.  It is up to the individual consumer to make up
his or her own mind to do business with someone.
 
When the AFA gets multiple (more than one) complaints concerning a breeder,
shelter or vendor, then and only then can steps be taken to determine if
the accusations are true and action is warranted.  AFA will not take action
with information based solely from a single individual.  Just because one
person does not agree with something another individual is doing does not
necessarily make that person s actions wrong or in this case abusive.
 
Fact #1: Kathy approached me and another member of the AFA board of
directors with concern on the disciplining of a ferret.  We both knew the
breeder in question and the other board member went down immediately to
discuss the matter with her.  This breeder s 10 year track record and
reputation have always been clear of accusations of abuse, neglect or any
other perpetration against ferrets.  Actually, her reputation is that she
dotes on the ferrets and agonizes over their care and spends much of her
time and resources volunteering at ferret education events and assisting
with ferret related publications.  The only complaints ever received
against this breeder is that she smooches and pets all the ferrets she
meets and due to recent concerns about the spread of diseases, some folks
were concerned that this would transmit germs from ferret to ferret.
 
Fact #2: Of all the people at the breeder s table, the people looking at
the ferret in question, only one person, out of all those around, saw this
disciplinary action as abusive.  If Kathy thought the action was obviously
flagrant disciplinary abuse, wouldn t the other people around at that time
have considered the same and reported it?
 
Fact #3: The breeder, when questioned within 30 minutes of the alleged
incident, did not remember disciplining any of her ferrets while showing
them to others.  Since I did not see the discipline and did not go with
Kathy to point out the breeder, is Kathy really sure she has the right
person?  Also, the allegations that the official pointed out the accuser
are not true.  However, any person being accused of something has the right
to meet their accuser, face to face.  Kathy s first action should have been
to speak directly to the breeder to discuss her viewpoint of the actions
she observed.  Then, if Kathy wasn t satisfied with the response, her next
course of action should be to report the incident to officials.
 
Fact #4: The persecution of a different breeder was not at an AFA show,
despite the allegations outlined in Ms. Eckert s post.  It was the July
WarmFuzzy show in PA.  And to set the record straight, the individual that
posted against the breeder from the July PA show, when asked to visually
identify the breeder, agreed that it wasn t who she thought it was so she
was flaming the wrong person!
 
This ferret was being scruffed firmly for disciplinary actions and he was
vocalizing as some young ferrets will do.  The ferret in question was a 3
pound, 5 month old hob who bit some folks when they were trying to pick up
other ferrets.  This was not ferret abuse by any means.
 
In this day and age, parents are getting thrown in jail for disciplining
their children just because someone doesn t think a child should be
spanked.  Others feel the need to voice their concerns in a public forum
even when they were not present and have no clue as to what really
happened.  Animal abuse should not be tolerated, child abuse should not
be tolerated, and the public character abuse of an individual without
substantiated proof should not be tolerated.
 
I was not privy to the incident, and no one else has come up to voice
their perception of the action - and I mean an eye witness account of the
incident in question.  Making the breeder s name or the AFA official s
name who took the complaint public record is not appropriate either.
 
I had a good laugh at the posting about these AFA people are hired for x,
y, z.  HAH!!!  Hired?  Enslaved maybe but I have yet to see any money flow
in this direction!  As mentioned numerous times in the past, the Board
members and event personnel are all VOLUNTEERS!  There is no pay for all
of their work.  They do it because they are committed to the ferret, not
for monetary reasons.
 
If you wish to flame me, please do so, I don t subscribe to the FML, I
don t have the time to read it.  And if you are bold enough to email me
directly, my email address is [log in to unmask]  If you really want
to make a difference in the ferret world, then please volunteer for the
AFA.  If there is something you don t like about the AFA, then YOU work to
make it better!  Don t just sit there on your computer and bitch about it!
 
Vickie McKimmey, AFA President
[Posted in FML issue 3005]