Again: when people give up they create a bad situation which is
self-fulfilling in horrid outcomes.  Don't paint yourselves into corners
and don't burn bridges!  Okay, mixed metaphores with sayings but i have
asthma... Besides some of the nasty behaviors or uncooperative actions do
strand people in corners upon burning bridges and guaranty falling into
failure.
 
What has worked for others and can work for ferrets is to begin by
providing the animal control people and humane groups with help:
1. the ferrets groups working as advisors
2.  the ferret groups working as foster homes to lessen the load of the
others
 
These create trust and cooperation.
 
THEN the reverse of the situation is that those groups help when a case
has to be brought, but first the relationship and trust need to be in
place.  This is how others have done it successfully, so it is an
approach that is KNOWN to work.
 
Yes, it takes some gentle diplomacy, but you know the definition of
diplomacy don't you? It is letting others have things your way.  (NOT
bludgeoning others into having things your way, BTW.)
 
The final outcome of doing things the way they have always been done
is that we will just see the same abusers and hoarders repeating and
repeating, which is EXACTLY what we DO keep seeing, year after year,
plus new abusers and hoarders added.  We are just running in circles,
folks!  We have to fight this in a more intelligent fashion!  That
means knowing the limitations of local laws so that effective working
within those laws can be achieved, gently and cooperatively putting
the relationships into place that will prevent deaths which can be
avoided once the large humane groups or animal control responds, and
logically working to improve laws.  There are those who have used
EACH of these things to the advantage of ferrets.  We have all
celebrated when such achievements have occurred.  It can be done.  It
has been done.  It can be done again.
[Posted in FML issue 3926]