>I'd like to point out that if you are adopting unaltered ferrets from a
>shelter, they aren't a shelter, they are a breeder, and you aren't
>adopting a shelter ferret, you are purchasing a kit.  Ethical shelters
>will not adopt out an intact ferret, even if they were not the breeder
>of this animal.
 
Yup, I also have a problem with this generalized statement.  Actually I
AM both a shelter and a breeder but the two do not cross.  MY kits AND
any retired breeders placed are listed under my ferretry AS MY personal
ferrets and ARE fixed unless they are under 6 months of age, in which
case there is a contract for altering and I must be presented with the
proof.
 
There has been 2 occasions now when the shelter HAS taken in a momma and
unaltered kits from a backyard breeder who was shut down... those kits
came from the backyard breeder and were rescues of the shelter, NOT my own
privately bred kits.  However for health reasons, I did adopt them out
through the shelter unaltered with the contract for altering at 6 months.
 
There is also one case of an adult rescue adopted un-altered.  He was a
special case because he was almost 8 years old, the product of a backyard
breeder and the victim of long term abuse and neglect and he also had
cryptorchid.  It was checked and determined to be non-cancerous and it was
further determined after consultation with the vets and other shelters and
breeders that attempting to alter him and requiring major surgery to go
after the undescended testicle would be too risky with his age and
circumstances.  So he was officially adopted to someone who is a close
friend of the shelter who loves him and wanted to give him a permanent
home... and there are special conditions in his contract concerning his
alter status.
 
Could there be any unethical folks out there trying to pass off their own
ferrets as rescues?  Sure... I'm not blind, there IS unethical folks out
there.... but to make such a general statement towards ALL shelters and/or
breeders is wrong and unfair.
[Posted in FML issue 3441]