I think of it this way:

Would a foster mom/dad have kids if they could or wanted to? Instead
of adopting?

What is the reward for rescuing ferrets? What if breeding gives you
some joy and fun in your life of heartbreak and rescue?

Where is it written that a shelter must sacrifice all in the name of
ferrets, including breeding?

The breeding that shelter moms/dads do, if responsible, does not affect
the overpopulation of ferrets. It's very unlikely these ferrets who are
bought will ever end up at a shelter in the future. If they continue to
rescue at the same time and are not turning down ferrets, then what is
the difference?

Some people will adopt, and some people who adopt also would like to
buy a ferret from a breeder at some point in their life. Since they
already wanted to buy a breeder ferret, they were not going to go buy
one from the pet shop or adopt one at that point. Plus, having to go
through a breeder is much more involved usually than stopping in at
Petco and just buying a ferret, removing the buy and dump aspect.

I understand it brings more ferrets into the world. But if done
responsibly it's a tiny itty bitty percentage compared to the real
reason that we have ferrets overpopulating shelters - the farms and
pet shops. In all the years of rescue I saw - I never saw more than
3 non-Marshall ferrets. And in Michigan, there were breeders.

I don't have any breeder friends, or breed, and never will breed, but
I just wonder why people are against it. Shelters do not get paid
for what they do, and unless they are getting aid, then why not. The
breeding could actually give the shelter some income where none usually
comes in at all. As long as it's small scale...I don't see the issue?

Laryssa

[Posted in FML 6619]