[Moderator's note: Part 2 -- Sukie's response -- follows in the next
post.  BIG]
 
>Sukie: You need to understand that the AVAR is not actively lobbying
>against ferret breeding or any new ferret legislation in CA.  We opposed
>the CA legislation a few years ago when the rabies issue was not resolved.
>Additionally, our board members have not agreed on the legalization issue.
>The matter has not been discussed at any length because we are not
>actively working on any issues related to ferrets at this time.  Some of
>us come from a more animal rights philosophical perspective that further
>domestication will not be good for these animals rather than submitting to
>the fact that people have violated CA's law by having and breeding ferrets
>thus placing these animals at risk and we should now correct this
>situation by legalizing them.  Instead of ferret 'owners' taking
>responsibility for their ferrets' underground living situation, which they
>created, they blame the rest of us for the harmful results to ferrets
>because they aren't legal.  Perhaps people should have worked to legalize
>ferrets BEFORE they decided to bring and breed tens of thousands of them
>here in this state.
>
>As I mentioned before, I have done some work in this area and understand
>the issues surrounding ferrets.  We have tried to bring the issue of
>laypersons doing surgeries on these animals to the forefront.  The
>American Veterinary Medical Association has subseqently taken a position
>that calls for ferrets to receive proper medical care through
>sterilizations by trained and licensed veterinarians.  We also have
>alerted people through a couple of articles about ferret mills that we
>wrote so that they will be aware of who they are supporting when they
>purchase a ferret.
>
>I think to call the regulation of ferret breeding or curbing the
>proliferation of 'pet' ferrets as 'genocide' is a bit strong.  Ferrets
>were once, as you acknowledge, a wild animal who survived in a natural
>situation without the help of humans.  They could continue to do so if
>their habitat were protected.  I'm not convinced that humans would be
>messing up entire genetic groups or causing harm to any species by
>allowing it to proliferate on its own accord through natural selection.
>If anything, humans have tinkered with the genetics of these and other
>species through unethical breeding practices, which have caused a great
>deal of harm rather than good.
>
>I'm not sure I understand your argument about stopping Marshall Farms
>from their production practices either.  Their ferrets live in miserable
>conditions and are assembly-line produced for pets and as research tools.
>We will not be held hostage by MF's potential to invest in other forms of
>animal abuse.  AVAR is against any form of animal exploitation or abuse,
>regardless of the perceived benefits of their use.  If you look into the
>issue of toxicology on ferrets, you will find that they suffer terribly
>for human convenience, not survival.
>
>The ferret issue, in my opinion, has more to do with the needs of people
>rather than the needs of these animals.  I have heard over and over again
>how much people enjoy these animals, and it seems obvious to me that this
>is simply a matter of human indulgence.  They're KEPT, just like cats and
>dogs.  The difference between ferrets and cats and dogs, however, is that
>ferrets (in most cases) are intentionally bred rather than rescued from
>destruction.  For those of us who do care for companion cats, dogs,
>chickens, geese, etc., we do so because they are going to be killed if we
>don't rescue them.  Additionally, many cats and dogs, in my opinion, are
>not treated well or provided with the necessities for having their needs
>met.  Many dogs live at the end of a chain and cats are routinely squished
>on the road or left to fend for themselves.  God knows the humane
>community is not out breeding them and, in fact, works diligently to
>stop their breeding.
[Posted in FML issue 2918]