>>How could such a breeder continue if there were limit laws or per
>>animal fees? Why should breeders HAVE to cut back on their breeding
>>stock or litters per year? How is it helping ferrets, ferret owners or
>>ferret breeders to cut back on the number of quality ferret litters
>>which are born?
>
>Ah, if you had come to the ferret world not long before you did you
>would have seen at least five examples of why, cases in which the
>breeders did not have the ability to care for the numbers of animals
>they had. Just check the archives and other refs. You will read of
>places like a barely lit garage stacked with cages, some of the cages
>even holding ferrets who died and were never removed (and not just
>recent deaths). You would have read of another whose males had high
>rates of untreated testicular tumors and the breeder ferrets showed
>multiple other no signs of having had no vet care. You would have read
>about one breeder who was feeding dead ferrets to the ones left.

That doesn't change my question - why should breeders producing quality  
ferrets which are well cared for be forced to cut back? 

I actually know about a lot of the large scale rescues. I have been
involved with ferrets for 12 years - I'm bound to have heard the
stories. I also know for me personally the worst rescue pictures I have
seen so far are those posted on a ferret rescue site. The rescue was
one shelter going and rescuing ferrets from another "shelter". The
conditions were unbelievable and the humans living in the house were
living in the same conditions as the animals. The people involved in
the rescue became ill afterwards due to the filth.

Ohio does have animal care laws and I feel some people are being led
to believe they do not. There was a known hoarder in the city I live
in and she was arrested. Not due to limit laws but due to unsanitary
conditions. Over the winter in areas around me there have been several
horse rescues involving law enforcement - again due to poor conditions,
lack of care. One was wrongly accused from what I understand - their
horses were not in unsanitary conditions but were thin (they were
racehorses and it isn't unusual for them to have problems putting on
weight). I believe that person got his horses back after a lot of
heartache. The rest are being charged, all due to current laws.

I am all for animal welfare - that animals need to be provided with
food, water, shelter and care. I believe animals shouldn't be tortured
or beaten. Beyond that though I don't feel the government should be
involved. I don't feel people's personal opinions such as "breeding
animals is wrong", "no one can really care for X number of animals",
"owning intact animals should be banned" or "all animals should be
hugged and kissed three times a day" should become laws or play into
lawmaking choices.

I have my own personal opinions about pet care. Many owners who post
here likely wouldn't meet my standards. I also would imagine there many
here would feel I should do things differently, do things more like
them. Everyone has their own opinions on what owners should or should
not or must or must not do with their pets.

You know what they say about opinions...

Nikki

[Posted in FML 5546]