>My dilemma: do I allow these people to continue to do this, although they
>have no license, and are basically breaking the law, and also housing
>ferrets in conditions unlike ours, which can be inspected whenever the
>state feels the need?  Or do I just sit back and allow this to continue?
>I pay $100 each year for a permit that I consider essential, while these
>other folks are blatently disregarding this law.  I've heard awful things
>about some of these shelters, ranging from inadequate veterinary care to
>filth.  I do not wish to name names, since I have not been to any of the
>shelters personally, but am relying on the word of 4 different clients and
>foster parents who have been there, and were disgusted at the conditions
>that the ferrets were being housed, and chose not to adopt from them...
 
Seems you have more than one dilemma going on there.  First, you need to
ask yourself if you are really upset that you are paying $100 a year for
the required permits while the other shelters are not?  Or are you bothered
by the fact that the newspapers in your area are giving them publicity?
Perhaps publicity that you think you deserve above them.
 
Another dilemma is the fact that you have no actual, verifiable information
regarding conditions at these other shelters.  You admit that you haven't
been to any of them, and have relied on second-hand information from people
who didn't get ferrets from those shelters.  Is it a fact that the adopters
making claims against the other shelters voluntarily chose not to rescue
ferrets from poor conditions, or is it possible that the shelters for one
reason or another turned THEM away?  That does happen, you know.  And it is
equally true that some shelters have unreasonable standards for chosing
potential adoptive parents.  But, before making allegations against another
person or shelter, it might be a good idea to get first hand information by
actually visiting these shelters.  Perhaps the conditions are not nearly so
bad as you were led to believe, or perhaps the conditions at one or more of
these shelters could be improved, and you could share some tips on how you
manage your shelter.  The other shelters might not be aware of the state
regulations and the need for the $100 yearly permit.
 
Have you considered the ramifications of your actions should you choose to
report the non-licensed shelters and insist something be done to them?
Should the state decide to close the shelters down and remove the ferrets,
what will happen to them?
 
I'm not saying your concerns are unfounded, but it is always best to enter
a course of action knowing what all motivations are, and knowing all of the
facts, and with an idea of what the results of that action might be.  In
recent years, the phrase "I have heard ..." has gotten far more use than
it should, and is given far more acceptance than it deserves.  Second-hand
information is often unreliable at the best of times, and outright
fabrications at the worst.  I have heard that there are rats as big as
alligators in the NYC sewers, and alligators as big as buses down there as
well.  That doesn't make either claim true.  It might not make the claims
untrue, either.  But, I think it would be a good idea for me to reserve
judgement until there is hard proof before I insist someone take action.
 
Just something to think about.
[Posted in FML issue 2599]