>Ferret maulings: Don't drag dogs into it.  The same people who think ferrets
>are dangerous also support breed specific legislation against large dog
>breeds.
 
Well, good luck to them. :P  Legislation like that is amazingly unlikely to
ever happen.  I certainly don't have anything against dogs, nor do I support
banning them, or any other kind of domestic animal.  My point was not to
pick on dogs, merely to point out an inconsistency in thought.  It is *very*
common for people to take a position without completely thinking the issue
through, including what they are really committing themselves to.
 
Does the Audobon Society have a position on dogs?
 
>The truth is that most serious incidents involving animals result from poor
>supervision and training on the part of the owner... Anyway, my point is
>that saying ferrets kill fewer babies than dogs is only going to cause
>problems for dog-lovers.
 
I agree with you, at least insofar as you say that the real *fault* lies not
with the animals but with those who are supposedly responsible for them.
Most (though perhaps not all) viciousness in domestic pets of any kind is
the direct result of abuse and/or neglect, and the stage is then set for
major tragedy because the owner of the animal is often also a parent who
doesn't properly supervise either animal or child.  My point, however, is
that you just don't get (nor do I suspect you ever will) roving packs of
ferrets mauling children in parks or vacant lots.  You do get that with
dogs, often due to owner negligence.  But dogs simply are much bigger, more
agressive, and much, *much* more likely to cause a child serious injury or
even death.
 
My point is just that it doesn't make any sense at all to oppose legislation
legalizing ferret ownership without also promoting legislation that would
ban certain dog breeds, etc.  If someone holds that position, then they're
at least being consistent.  They're still WRONG, IMHO :), but they're
consistent.
 
-Tasha
 
"It has been said that man is a rational animal.  All my life I have been
searching for evidence which could support this."
                                        -- Bertrand Russell
[Posted in FML issue 1919]