>From:  "K. Sherman" <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Breeding/car chasing/Tampa HS
 
There are quite a few breeders here.  Most of them on-line are responsible
breeders.  Off hand I can point to ourselves, Debbie Riccio, Pam Grant, Meg
Carpenter, Fran Wiles, Sheena, and more I don't have names for at the tip of
my tongue.  Others that are probably here but I didn't know subscribed.  You
are pretty much insulting ALL of us just because you have a different
opinion.
 
Breeders are also often involved with the shows be they LIFE, NAFA,
Independant or AFA.  Many are judges.  Meg Carpenter was the largest breeder
in Virginia this year.  Di Bachman in Maryland the largest I know there.
They both say they had no trouble placing their kits.
 
>How can a full grown adult rescue ferret compete with a cute baby kit?
 
A responsible breeder will not breed more kits than can be placed.  You
point out that some people will choose a kit over a shelter adoptee.
Stopping all hobby breeders will not change that.  All it would do is remove
one source of kits that are NOT mutilated at 5 weeks of age.  Hobby breeders
really have little impact on the shelter situation.  Ask the rest of the
breeders here on line and especially those that are running shelters as
well.  Shelters and breeders shouldn't compete.  Kits and adoptees are right
for different types of people.  You need to "Reach your market" not "stifle
the competition".  Until you understand who you are really trying to reach
you will have trouble placing adoptees.  You have to screen potential
adopters to som eextent but you have to reach them in a positive way first.
 
> Just don't try to convince everyone else that it's for the ferrets.
 
But it IS.  Many of the same voices that decry the ferret ranches (even
calling them ferret-mills) also run shelters.  They berate the early
altering and the descenting.  Hobby breeders offer the late alter
non-descented ferrets.  Isn't this good to have healthier ferrets available?
 
>Adrienne Boerger made this point very clear in her Tuesday post when
>she said "This doesn't mean that they won't get sold, but it does mean
>that the shelters will not be able to adopt their animals out, and more
>and more animals will be without homes."
 
Sorry but we don't believe this.  When people call us wanting a ferret often
they want very specifically a young kit.  We won't sell them as young as
eight weeks though some breeders will.  When we say "NO, how about adopting
a shelter ferret" some say they'll just go to a pet store.  We have never
lost a adoption to a "breeder", even ourselves.  Some folks want one.  Some
the other.
 
>>...So far the good guys are winning.  If the attackers would instead expend
>>their energy in a productive manner to work toward full National
>>legalization and full National quarrantine policies instead of
>>self-promotion we'd all be better off.
>Unfortunately, there is only so much that all of us can do on a National
>level with the rabies issue.  We will work with Howard Davis to have the
>Compendium written more favorably towards a national quarantine period,
>however, this does not mean that the state Health Depts will follow those
>guidelines recommended in the Compendium.  Ours won't!
 
I can not point out the irony of this.  Work with any of the people that are
trying to help ferrets.  Work at both national and local levels.  Just don't
forget that hobby breeders ARE good ferret folks too.  There is no single
person or group quailied to be the arbiter of "what is good for ferrets".
We all have our own opinions.
 
bill and diane killian
zen and the art of ferrets
http://www.zenferret.com/
mailto:[log in to unmask]
[Posted in FML issue 1709]