>Some dog breeds have known defects and enough research has been done to know
>what to look for.
<snip>
>You also know some rather well off breeders.
 
I think the correct assumption would be that she knows some rather
*responsible* and *reputable* breeders.  If the tests are available, the
breeder should have them done.  If they don't, they shouldn't be breeding.
If they can't afford the tests, they also shouldn't be breeding.  None of
the dog breeders I know make any real money.  I don't know that this is
always true with ferret breeders (although I know *I* don't make any money
breeding ferrets ... wish I did ...).
 
>But part of your message shows you've been misled...
 
>>I want assurance that she will not come down with some preventable
>>crippling disease before the age of two.
 
>Anyone who assures you that their ferrets won't have disease or cancer are
>lying.  It also shows you've bought too much into the lies about pet store
>ferrets.
 
Read her post again, Bill.  She was referring to dogs, not ferrets.
However, *if* there was a way to determine that possibility, then a good
ferret breeder should be going out of their way to determine it.
 
>>Education and experience is out there for people who don't just sit back
>>and wait for it to come to them or close their eyes to it.
 
>Diane used to show German Shepherds.  We have "show quality" Pomeranians
>from a local breeder.  We do know where we're coming from.  But we'd never
>seen a Shiba Inu (think I got that right) until we came across one in a pet
>store but now we know of a local breeder.
 
Bet if you'd gone into a bookstore and looked under 'S' in the animal
section you would have found a Shiba Inu too.  There are all sorts of
methods of researching breeds/species/animals, and one can conceivably
completely avoid a pet store to do it.
 
We have lots of lovely pet store ferrets too, and if I could back in time
and redo it, I think I'd buy them all again, because I love them all dearly.
But that doesn't negate the fact that I will no longer support pet stores,
and I won't buy an animal from one ever again.  Why encourage these store to
bring in more ferrets that the uninformed with a couple of hundred dollars
burning in their pockets will take home?  Why not make it more difficult, so
that ferrets go to homes that have been carefully assessed by responsible
breeders/shelters, and have been loaded up with information so that those
people have a better idea what they're getting themselves into?
 
In Canada, you can't get a guarantee about the dog you are buying from a pet
store, because CKC registered dogs can't be sold in pet stores.  So why buy
it?  Go to a good, reputable, responsible breeder instead.  Or adopt a
rescue and take your chances.  If and when the time comes that a similar
scenario for ferrets is the case, I hope folks will go the right route and
do it properly.
 
Sheena - [log in to unmask]  | "To Err is Ferret ... To Forgive|
VP - Greater Vancouver      | "... Well, That's Our Job"      |
     Ferret Association      (Wherret Web Pages Coming Soon!)
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[Posted in FML issue 1835]