I've held off posting, hoping that the silly posts would just tail
off, but it doesn't seem to be happening. Sigh.

I think it's a pretty far stretch to compare ferrets to backyard
breeding of dogs.

1) At the time that those earlier movies were put out, nobody was
claiming that Dalmatians were vicious animals that would attack and
maim children.

2) Nobody was outlawing the ownership of Dalmatians based on bogus
scare tactics like we see in California.

3) Nobody was putting dogs down for the sin of having been found in
the wrong state, city, etc.

4) Un-altered dogs are absolutely commonplace. They are the norm, and
set the stage for ANYONE to start breeding indiscriminately.

5) 99+% of all ferrets sold in America are altered before leaving the
breeding facility.

6) The majority of the remaining ferrets, coming from responsible
breeders, come with a contract requiring the purchaser to complete
the spay/neuter within a set period.

Might there be impulse purchases of ferrets after this movie gets
released? Sure. There are today, all the time. Just ask any shelter
operator. This isn't changing anything.

On the other hand, if people are not afraid of ferrets, some more
might be adopted into responsible homes.

All in all, for myself and my shelter, I'd much rather have a movie
made by someone who cares about ferrets, that presents them in a
positive light, than to allow ignorance to reign.

For the ferrets, ignorance isn't bliss. Ignorance won't keep ferrets
from being bought by irresponsible owners. It's not like they're a
secret that we are trying to keep.

The more accurate understanding people have of what life with ferrets
is like, the better off we all are.

The more people in the ferret community who are trying to help make
things better get attacked, the poorer we all are.

Kevin Farlee
Washington Ferret Rescue & Shelter

[Posted in FML 7456]