>From:    Sandi Ackerman <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Re: zen on breeder/shelters...
 
Nope.  Nothing worth responding to.  As long as one side of a debate is so
willfully ignoring the obvious there is no point in continuing.  A rebutal
would merely state that we disagree with practically every sentence.
 
Ferret breeders are by and large likely to be shelter operators.  They need
to know everything that shelter operators do since even if they don't take
in strays they have to deal with the same issues.
 
Veterinarians do have a lot of specialized information that neither shelter
folk nor breeders will ever need to know.  There are lots of things they
learn from breeders (and some shelter folk too) Hope the vets here realized
that we weren't specifically talking about them.  We don't play vets (even
on TV).
 
>From:    Anonymous Poster <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Re: Zen on Breeders
 
Ah shooting from a hidden position...
[Moderator's note: No, this person is in an FFZ and normally posts
anonymously.  BIG]
 
>First off I personally feel that if you are running a shelter you
>are taking in the unwanted.
 
Well unwanted in their current situation.  Our whole point is to find where
they are wanted.
 
>You are taking in the unwanted older ferrets or possibly sick or for
>whatever reason taking in an unwanted ferret, yet breeding ferrets to
>create babies.
 
Yes.  But that isn't a contradiction.  Where should ferrets come from?
 
If there were no more baby ferrets then in some ten plus years there would
be no more ferrets at all.  We obviously need ferrets to be born unless
extinction ala Peta's one generation then out desire is now universal.
 
We really do not understand that that is a contradiction.  We provide people
that want ferrets with ferrets.  Thats what shelters do and thats what
breeders do.  We just have different sources.
 
No more.  No less.
 
Oh we certanly don't feel stupid.  But saying that what we are doing is
stupid is indeed calling us stupid.  Okay we were only called "kind of
stupid".
 
>I just think if you are running a shelter it makes no sense to breed an
>animal you are sheltering because 9 out of 10 chances you may see that
>ferret you sold to someone in your shelter later on down the road.
 
That is a rather bizarre statement!  Are you actually saying 90% of ferrets
end up in shelters?  That we breeders turn around and breed our turnins?
We surrender.  Can't debate this type of illogic.  We could refute it but
it seems likely to be a waste of time and effort.
 
>From:    Juliana Quadrozzi - GA Domestic Ferret Association
>         <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: shelters' rights
 
Going further back...  Not us.  Nope still too much of a flame-fest.
 
>From:    Sandi Ackerman <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Re: One day--success
>I'm not all that sure that it would be such a sad thing for the domestic
>ferret to become extinct.
 
Uh huh...
 
There is a reason that quite a few in the ferret world consider the Ferret
Digest an unfriendly place.  There is a lot some of these people Even some
<shudder> breeders <!> could have a lot of information to pass along.  But
we are rare in that we are willing to take this abuse.
 
Is it really doing any person or ferret any good to divide the ferret world
on an imaginary boundary between ferret shelters and ferret breeders?
 
bill and diane killian
zen and the art of ferrets
http://www.zenferret.com/
mailto:[log in to unmask]
 
[Moderator's note: There are some strong opinons, but some of the posts
today are well-written and informative IMHO.  BIG]
[Posted in FML issue 2314]