Since Troy Lynn's report of the situation at Mr Friend's farm in Kansas,
there have been many comments here in the FML that I feel need a reponse.
 
Troy Lynn, your fairness to Mr Friend in describing him as uneducated and
uninformed in ferret care rather than abusive is laudable.  However, it just
goes to demonstrate what a nice person you really are.  In point of fact, Mr
Friend is worse than abusive and uninformed.  He is willfully uninformed,
which in my opinion is as bad as being consciously abusive.  The simple fact
is that as a breeder it is his obligation to provide his breeding stock with
the best care possible.  A few years ago he might have had an excuse for his
lack of information.  That is not true today.  The ferret world has grown
with leaps and bounds and so has the availability of good and reliable
information.  I, too, got my first ferret when the only ferret books readily
available were pre-1950.  In fact, the first ferret manual I got recommended
feeding your ferret raw liver and bread soaked in milk to produce a docile
ferret.  That information sounded too much like an old wives tale to me even
then and I went in search of more reliable information.  Mr Friend could
have easily educated himself on the proper care of breeding ferrets.  The
fact is he chose not to do so.
 
I am surprised at how many posts suggest simply calling in the SCPA and
having them save the ferrets.  Unless the Kansas SCPA is much more
enlightened than the organization is in the rest of the country, that is not
such a great idea.  Most humane shelters are not equipped for taking in
ferrets and that course could lead to the euthanization of the ferrets we
wish to see saved.  Like many others, I do not advocate buying the ferrets
from Mr Friend and I understand totally their logic.  Unlike those good
people, I am willing assist in buying out the existing stock and working to
prevent Mr Friend from continuing his practice in the future.  There are
several simple ways to accomplish that goal and I would be willing to work
with those in Kansas to help them impliment such methods.
 
Like almost everyone else, I felt a visceral emotion when reading the
original posts.  However, regardless of background experiences, advocating
seeking out a .45 calibre pistol or other impliment of mayhem and committing
an act of violence is counterproductive and downright wrong.  We present
ourselves as reasonable people filled with compassion and intelligence.
Violence, regardless of the visceral emotions triggered, is the act of those
lacking the qualities we try to exemplify through our dedication to protect
and save as many abused animals as possible (Now, PawPaw -- if you can come
across any of theose dinoferrets, I wouldn't complain too much if you let
them loose in the general area of Mr Friend.  I don't think that would count
as violence as much as it would be Nature taking it's course).
 
Well, that's my piece.  The soapbox is now free.
 
F. Scott Giarrocco and the Mustilid Mob and friends
[Posted in FML issue 1712]