Is Marshall Farms the *only* large producer of ferrets for various markets?
Are they the *only* producer large or small that seems to produce a large
number of "problem" ferrets?  What about all the ferrets from Marshall Farms
that are owned by people who are not a part of ferret clubs and lists...do
we know how many of them remain healthy for whatever period of time?
 
I agree that if Marshall Farms ferrets have so many problems that some group
should *objectively* look into what they're doing.
 
As for selling animals (including ferrets) for research....I have mixed
feelings, but the fact is that while I believe for most things there are
ways to do most of the training for things without the use of a live being,
you can't get the feel of how to handle a human baby from a model.  If it
comes right down to it, when I have a baby, and the baby needs medical help,
I would hope that the nurse and doctor that I get in the ER has had at least
*some* experience at least handling a live being.  There is give and take,
and while I agree that some research on animals is unnecessary and some
research animals are kept in deplorable conditions, many are not, and
someday your life may depend on a drug that our fuzzy friends in research
labs helped a company develop.  I would rather that Marshall Farms sell to
researchers than have the pet fuzzies that are taken from responsible owners
every day by unfair laws and people be shipped off.
 
K:)  off my soap box now
 
On another note, Rocky is becoming more of a problem, he actually bit *me*
today when Rosa came running to me and I bent down to pick her up.  (Didn't
break the skin, but it *hurt*) Guess I'll just not be able to let them run
around the house together at all.  He is such a dear otherwise!
 
Sue the chewed
Rosa the terrified
Rocky the caged
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[Posted in FML issue 2102]