I'm sure I will have many of you upset with me over the post, but I know
more details of the "Provo ferret beating" case than probably any one else
out there.  I agree that the death was senseless and that it was a terrible
one, but I just want to remind people of all the other thousands of ferrets
who die senseless deaths every day.  Deaths that are no less horrible or
violent than that of Bandit's.  Many ferrets die because their humans wash
them in the washing machine after the ferret has fallen asleep in the
laundry basket (please restrict the areas in your house that your ferret
has access to...the laundry room especially, there are inevitable toxic and
caustic chemicals present.) Other ferrets fall prey to a miriad of other
household dangers (heating vents, dryer ducts, household chemicals,
recliners, small ingestible objects, unsupervied children, adults, and
pets, the list can go on and on).  Many ferrets die of heat stroke daily
because they do not have a place to retreat to in the heat of the day.
Many ferrets freeze to death every day because people seem to think that
they are still capable of tolerating outside conditions when in reality
their temperature tolerance is very thin (~55 F to 80F).  Many, many, many,
many ferrets die each day because of neglect and malnutrition.  Impulse
buyers purchase them and then realize that they are not "ferret people" and
rather than trying to find them a new home, the ferret is put in a cage
somewhere and forgotten about.  Still many more are euthanized because
their owners are not willing to accept the responsiblity of being an owner
and when medical treatment is needed they opt for the cheap and easy way
out.  And how many ferrets die each year because they "bit" someone and an
uneducated public automatically says the ferret is viscious and rabid and
therefore must die.
 
Yes, please show your outrage over the Provo incident, but then take up the
banner closer to home and show your outrage over the horrible deaths that
happen on a daily basis.  It seems that we on this list are in need of the
dramatic to get us fired up and to get us to take action.  We have seen many
incidents in the past several years that have incited rage amongst us and
that have united us into one truly influencial body.  But in reality, we
have accomplished little because we ignore the area where we could make the
most difference - the everyday, common, senseless, and needless loss of life
that goes undramatically reported.
[Posted in FML issue 2403]