I mentioned to Wolfy that perhaps if folks did spend more time thinking
about what it is like to avoid to walk in others' shoes that some neglect
and hoarding situations that endanger animals would not happen.  Why?
Because maybe folks would accept better when they have reached a point
where some help is needed, whether it's from a ferret shelter, friends
who are able at that time, or whatever *IF* they didn't feel that they
were likely to be flamed.
 
Now, I do agree with Trudy that it's very upsetting to read about those
think of animals merely as objects.  Rather than being upset when they
shed the animals due to that opinion I'd rather see them *without* animals
(any animals at any time) so that the critters have a better life.
 
Oh, in case anyone missed it first time around, Troy Lynn posted an
article that can be useful for improving the animal legislation in many
states.  Here it is:
 
http://www.mhsource.com/pt/p000425.html
 
Here are some more (including links to the IL legislation and a self-help
group for hoarders and for those who think they may be at risk of
hoarding):
 
http://www.tufts.edu/vet/cfa/hoarding.html
 
http://www.tufts.edu/vet/cfa/Illinoislaw.html
 
http://www.tufts.edu/vet/cfa/hoarding_refs.html
 
http://www.tufts.edu/vet/cfa/hoardingQ&A.html
 
http://www.tufts.edu/vet/cfa/harc.html
 
http://www.tufts.edu/vet/cfa/trtmntrec.html
 
http://www.tufts.edu/vet/cfa/vettips.html
 
http://www.nmrfam.wisc.edu/~chapman/hrs-wi/hoarding.html
 
It really pays for each of us to send copies of these and other applicable
animal hoarding resources to the state people who can do something to
change the situation -- through evaluations by experts to see if there is
hoarding and sheltering when there is -- to help the animals.  YOU can do
this by sharing copies with your state animal authorities, with your state
legislators and governors, with your health departments, etc.
 
These are materials that ALL folks who truly love animals will want to
read and learn from, even though they are upsetting, because it's
something that we perhaps can actually DO something about and that's a lot
better than reading more cases like the recent one in Utah, or the NJ
Christmas Ferrets, or... Recently it seems like we hear of a case about
every 4 months or so with horridly abused ferrets, so let's all tackle it
before it gets worse with a few minutes finding addresses for state
authorities from your references or your local reference librarian, a few
minutes printing some pages, and a few stamps and envelopes plus the tiny
bit of time to address them.  Everything else that you need is right in
those websites!
[Posted in FML issue 3579]