>I'm posting anonymously, which I don't normally do, because I know this
>will be a bit volatile and I don't have time to deal with flames.
>I went to the Warm Fuzzy show this weekend and was frankly disappointed.
>The same few people won all the trophies-as if they were the favorites...
>some of the judges were not impartial.  What bothered me was there were
>two kids in particular, one belonging to two of the judges, who were
>playing in the ferret playpen rolling balls at the ferrets and trying to
>pick them all up...
 
Dear Anonymous poster, sorry but you're not anonymous.  The way you
conducted yourself at the WF made you very obvious.  But first let me
address your comment "that the same few people won all the trophies - as
if they were favorites." Myself and six volunteers from my shelter went
to the show.  Of the six, only one had been before.  I am listing where
we were in the top 3 positions:
 
Wannabe - 3rd Sherri J., 1st Kissing Contest - Sherri J., Albino 2nd - Gina
U., 1st Sable Ring 1 - Gina U., 2nd Mitt - Gina U., 1st Panda/Blaze - Gina
U., 2nd Twiggy - Gina U., 1st Twins - Gina U.  & Barb Clay, 1st Rescue Ring
1 - Becky B., 1st Silver - Becky B., 1st Mitt - Becky B., 1st Rescue &
Trophy - Barb Clay, 2nd in DEW, 2nd in Cinnamon, 2nd in Panda Plaze.
 
Okay, now you do the math.  All in all, we kicked butt.  You are obviously
unfair and wrong in your statement of winners.  We do not go to shows that
do not benefit shelters.  I commend the WF for a very fun show and all the
volunteers that made it happen.  Winning as much as we did was just icing
on the cake.  We went to have fun and did!
 
Now about the kids.  I was delighted to see a family oriented ferret show.
I was sitting beside the communal play pen.  I witnessed your outburst at a
child.  This child was not a young adult, he was a little kid, about 5 yrs.
old.  You got my attention when you started screaming at the child, "get
out, get out right now and do not come back".  Discipline without love is
futile.  You, as an adult, were the one out of control.  You had options.
You could have asked the child to sit down, rather than stand.  You could
have kindly, yet firmly, asked the child to step aside and explain why his
behavior was unacceptable.  You had many options on how to deal with the
situation, yet indulged your anger at the expense a little child.  I didn't
understand your anger then, but I do now.  You, admittedly in your post,
had attitude, you weren't winning trophies - gee, want some cheese with
that whine?
 
Affectionately, Barbara Clay
[Posted in FML issue 3322]