>From:    Linda Iroff <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: shelter populations
>I'd like to dispute these numbers.  I took a very quick look through the
>most recent FML Shelter list and came up with on the order of 1500 ferrets
>in the US shelters.
 
I actually question the FML shelter list ferret population but will grant
for this dicussion your numbers.  I'm even willing to grant you 3,000
ferrets in shelters and STILL say its not a big problem.  One old minimum
estimation of US ferret population originally from work done by Dr. Freddie
Hoffman but claimed by LIFE puts the population at 1,740,000
(http://www.acmeferret.com/infobank/biteinfo.htm) That would make the
shelter population at some 0.2 percent.
 
That is still less than one out of a thousand.  We have a higher proportion
of homeless humans than homeless ferrets.  From estimates online over 1.0
percent (perhaps 3,000,000 out of 267,636,061) of the US population is
homeless.  Five times the problem!
(http://www.census.gov/population/estimates/nation/popclockest.txt)
(http://www.earthsystems.org/ways/1.html)
 
Yes ferrets needing sheltering are a significant issue and that is why we
do shelter work ourselves.  But its not the rampant all encompassing issue
that some claim.
 
>While ferrets are not being slaughtered in the large numbers that dogs and
>cats are, they are undeniably being killed because they have no homes.
 
Where?  I have NEVER heard of a case.  Some non ferret-specific shelters
put down ALL animals that are not dogs or cats but that is not because of
ferret over-population but rather because of dog and cat over population.
These shelters are so over whelmed by the numbers of their two primary
charges that all others get really unfortunate treatment.
 
>Ohio also has one very large breeder that gives me great concern.
 
He's not that big.  There are quite a few larger.  Even in your general
region.
 
>But there is much breeding that goes on that can result in perhaps
>catastrophic overpopulation problems.
 
Its still a distribution problem.  Your own arguments point out the
regional nature of the problem.  Your particular region has problems
unique to that area.  I know of no other region with quite the same
problem.
 
-bill
 
--
bill and diane killian
zen and the art of ferrets
http://www.zenferret.com/
mailto:[log in to unmask]
[Posted in FML issue 2572]