I'm not trying to be politically correct when disparaging MF-in fact I have
often been acused of not being "PC", but I can't stand by and not do
anything when I know of an obvious wrong.  I am not a breeder, I am a
shelter.  I have seen many small breeders who have open colonies do very
well in the areas of temperament, resistance to disease, no known genetic
traits, who also prescribe to the second-cousin theory- no closer than that
for breeding, regardless of the cost or suitability of the match.  I would
be just as vehement with a small breeder who did wrong as the larger.  I am
not an elitist in regards to availability, I just think that when the
largest breeder of ferrets uses a closed colony and subject their ferrets to
the things MF does, I will speak up.  I don't consider it a waste of energy,
I consider it as educating those who are not aware.  Would you subject your
breeding jills to forced constant heats, or unnatural lighting in order to
continue the production of kits?  You sound like some of the breeders that I
was talking about in regards to the concern of quality.If I were to purchase
a ferret, I think you would be on my list.I never said that the small
breeders are perfect;only that the ones I have been to have impressed me
with the handling of their ferrets.
 
As far as the ferret show is concerned, if I had seen those ferret being
beaten, I would have reported them to the Humane society or Animal control.
I have seen too many ferrets through the shelter that have been abused by
their former owners that I couldn't just stand by and do nothing.  If they
felt safe enough to do that in public, I would hate to see what they do at
home to their ferrets.  As my hero, Jimmy Buffett says, "that's my story and
I'm sticking to it".
[Posted in FML issue 1530]