I have recevied this email from D.M.'s daughter, who asked me to
forward this to the fml. I would like to remain anon. for reason
that I hope some people will understand. Thank you for your time.
It has come to our attention recently that my father, daughters,
and myself are being slandered and vilified through out the ferret
community. So due to the speculation and misconstruing of our situation
and ourselves,(and the overall mischaracterization which seems to
spread and grow daily!) We feel compelled to respond, defend, and
clarify ourselves and the care of our animals.
1. First and foremost our ferrets do not need "rescued"! They always
have food, water, and shelter. They never go without basic quality
care. Yes, the external surrounding area does not look the best, but
that's secondary to the care of our ferrets. We care about all of our
animals very much and provide them with the best care that we possibly
can. we would never do anything to harm them! The accusation that they
have fleas is absolutely not true! We have never had any problems with
fleas and if we ever do, we would immediately take action. The ferrets
also do not have infections, heartworms or ADV! If they did we would
immediately treat them!
2. We see that photos have been posted and we are very sure who
the photographer was. These photos were focused in whatever the
photographer felt could be used to advance the agenda to defame,
vilify, and constitute a mission to rescue our ferrets. We find this
to be so reprehensible and disgusting that we are stunned and shocked
beyond reason! To provoke and aggravate others by the misrepresentation
of our family and animals is reckless, arrogant and shameless and we
will definitely see legal action!
3. The guesstimate of 1-2000 ferrets is grossly inaccurate!! We have
less than 500 and have been working towards reducing the ov erall
number by selling them to shelters, breeders, et.al. The assumption
that we have 8-10 to a cage is absolutely incorrect! It's closer to 4-5
to a cage due to lack of room and cages. Since they are social animals
they enjoy the company and warmth that other ferrets provide.
4. We DO NOT sell our ferrets for fur and to suggest we do is audacious
and very offensive! Yes, it is true that we also have mink, however we
don't sell them for fur either. We prefer to sell them to other mink
breeders. We also do not sell ferrets to retailers. To do so requires
a USDA license which we do not have! However, we do sell to other
breeders that sell to pet stores. We do not sell to them directly.
5. We do not breed ferrets year round! We believe that anyone with
basic ferret knowledge knows that they have heat cycles that begin in
mid- March and last thru April. We rarely have litters after August
and second matings aren't producti ve but, serve to take the female
out of heat. Which as most ferret lovers know can cause eventual death
of the female if she is left in heat. We DO NOT have litters born in
the winter months! The only way to have kits born in winter is to keep
your ferrets indoors year round and to use artificial lighting, which
we don't use!
6. Our ferrets are acclimated to the changes in the weather, due to
being raised outdoors year in and year out, they become climatized and
accustomed to the weather and stay very healthy. They are cold weather
animals by nature and prefer the cold over the heat. Our ferrets DO NOT
suffer in the elements, they have a sheltered building that is open on
the sides for ventilation. Snow, ice and rain cannot get in on the
ferrets! They are bedded every week for warmth and cleanliness using
wood shavings.
7. We are not willing to "give away" the ferrets at this time due
to the feed, bedding and water b ills we have while caring for the
animals. The feed we are currently feeding, is very expensive but well
worth the cost! Any money taken in goes right back into the ferrets
care and is very much appreciated due to all of us being on very
limited budgets!
8. My father, Doug McKay has had to deal with worsening health
conditions, including COPD, and numerous other health problems that
prevent him from working and taking care of the ferrets. However he is
NOT on his deathbed as some have speculated! He currently handles most
phone calls and questions that people have. In his place, my daughters
Katie and Laura do almost all the maintenance and care of the ferrets
including breeding. Meanwhile my brother Wayne cares for the small
amount of mink we do have and also provides care for the ferrets as
needed.
9.We are very offended and disappointed in the individuals who started
these rumors and are currently in the works of taking legal action
against them. We only hope that the people that know us and our ferrets
know better than to believe the accusations placed on us. We appreciate
you taking the time to read through this and hope that this matter will
come to an end soon! If you have any questions or comments regarding
this issue, you may contact us at 419-253-7222.
Sincerely,
Debbie, Katie and Laura Fuller
Doug McKay
Unique Impressions ferrets
[Posted in FML 5536]
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