Not to refuel old arguments, but simply to clarify where we are on the
status of the facts in the issue of euthanization of MF breeders:
 
Evidence concerning Marshall Farms' breeding practices comes not only from
Dr. Fox's book but from Dr. Judi Bell herself, the staff veterinarian at MF.
 
Dr. Bell discussed the fate of retired breeders in an interview with me that
appears in the Aug-Sep 1995 issue of the Independent Voice.  The story in
its entirety can be read in the Ferret News Kiosk
(http://www.csc.peachnet.edu/~rpoore/HDavis/news.html) on the WWW; or I will
be happy to email a copy of it to anyone requesting same.
 
The main focus of the story was the ECE vaccine research project, being
conducted by Dr. Bruce Williams, a project for which MF is contributing the
lab animals.
 
The subject of retired breeders came up peripherally when Dr. Bell observed
that (quoting from the article):
 
>all the ferrets being provided by Marshall Farms for
>the research effort are "retired" breeding animals.
 
> "This should satisfy the people that always think
>we shouldn't kill the retired breeders," she said.
 
>Asked whether this meant that all the ferrets being
>supplied to the research effort would otherwise normally
>have been euthanized, she said, "Yes, that's right."
 
Howard Davis,
Co-Editor, The Independent Voice
[Posted in FML issue 1318]