>From:    Ferrets* <[log in to unmask]>
>
>"Me thinks the lady duth protest to much"
 
Me thinks that thou are too wrapped up thy own importance to actually
read what was written.
 
>Would the Hagestown rescue and more recently a small rescue in the UK,
>would they have had so many problems, or would so many animals have been
>abused if some form of legislation had been in place to cope with it, it
>seems to me that neither of these rescues felt they could ask for help
>until the authority's got involved.
 
There is legislation in place in the USA to deal with shelters.  As I
understand it the Hagerstown ferrets that were rescued came from a
breeder who had abused ferrets before so your argument does not hold
water.
 
For your information a number of the ferret rescues in the UK do help
each other out... but then you wouldn't know that because you aren't in
the main stream of rescue work.  The rescue you were one about, I take it
you mean the one in the north west, was not a ferret rescue so are you
trying to muddy the water?
 
Are you getting confused with being a licensed rescue and a registered
charity?  Being a registered charity does not prevent animals being
abused.
 
>Now if the UK had a national rescue to which all the small rescues could
>be affiliate so that each and every affiliated rescue was given a
>surprise inspection once or twice a year, then would we not have less
>animals being abused, or would we still have cases like Hagestown and
>the last one in the UK.
 
We do have a national rescue or if you like a central body!  Have you
never heard of The British Federation of Ferret Welfares?  Well I am
surprised!!!  It has been in existence for something like 4 years and YOU
have never heard of it!!!  However, you would be excluded from membership
of the BFFW as you breed from your ferrets and don't have them neutered.
 
Now there are national rescues for dogs and cats but that did not prevent
the dogs, cats and other small animals at the rescue in the north west
being neglected and left to die.
 
I had a surprise inspection last week by two RSPCA Inspectors.  Passed
the scrutiny with no problem :-)
 
>Before you say it, yes some one is always going to start up small rescue,
>but if there was legislation in place that said that anyone taking in say
>3 animals a year had to be registered by the locale authorities and once
>the total number of rescued animals on the premises reached 6 in say any
>three years, then they would have to be registered, would we have more
>or less abusive rescues?
 
3 animals a year!!!  Are you actually on the same planet as the rest of
us?  I have taken in 4 ferrets in the past 2 weeks.  2 of them were
brought to me by members of the public, one came from my vet and last
night at 2245 a couple of police officers from Moss Side, Manchester
brought me an eight week old kit.  What do you say if someone wants you
take in a mother and her kits?  "Sorry, I can take the mother and two
kits but you will have to kill the others!" I believe that even the
animal welfare bill will possibly allow rescues to have 10 small rescued
animals in a one time ie animals that are normally caged, without having
to become licensed with the local authority.  By the way my local
authority know that I rescue ferrets, I've even received a donation from
them when I put on a ferret display for them at one of their small shows.
 
>I think it is worth fighting for to see each and every small rescue in
>the UK registered or at least affiliated to a larger registered rescue,
>it costs the rescue nothing to register as a charity in the UK, you can
>even be better off by having your rates cut down to almost nothing so
>that more money can be spent on the animals, but you are then governed
>by rules.  Can anyone tell what they personally have against registering
>as a charity?
 
Affiliated to a Registered Charity means rock all... and if being a
Registered Charity is so brilliant why don't you become registered in
your own right?
 
As I said before being a Registered Charity does not prevent animals from
being abused!!!
 
You aren't really paying attention are you?  It has already been explained
to you that being registered charity would be counter-productive.  I know
of ferret rescues that have applied to become registered charities and
they were told don't bother it won't be worth your while.  By rates do
you mean Council Tax?
 
If BFW becomes a Registered Charity does that mean I can pay myself a
wage for looking after the rescued ferrets in my care.  What is the going
rate for looking after them 24/7 365 days a year... Oh heck there just
isn't enough money left over to feed the ferrets, for veterinary care
etc.
 
--
Sheila
Bolton Ferret Welfare
Web Site: http://homepage.ntlworld.com/ferreter/bolton.htm
          last update 5 Dec 2002
NFWS web site http://www.nfws.net updated 1st Feb 2003
[Posted in FML issue 4283]