First let me clarify that I was in no way suggesting that Kim did
anything wrong by rescuing the ferrets.  She did not.  She cared about
their welfare and did the best she could.  My purpose was NOT to bash
any shelter who was willing to help.  I don't know how that got twisted
around.  I know when standing in the middle of a terrible situation like
that the main concern is for the welfare of the ferrets.  No one is
thinking any further at a time like that.  It is almost impossible to
think with one's head instead of one's heart.  I do NOT think Kim should
have to answer to anything.  She did what she thought was right for the
ferrets.  My purpose was to point out that anonymity gives these people
a cloak.
 
As for the humane societies, they do their best with what they have.
Most people think it works the way they see it on Animal Cops.  Some
places it does, most it doesn't.  Depends on the resources available
and the laws in the district.  Once they get to court the sentences are
usually not stiff enough to stop them.  Often times peer pressure or
media pressure is.  I agree with TLE's idea of bashing them into the
pavement a couple of times.  Sometimes that is all people like that
understand.
 
What I was trying to point out was that by keeping them anonymous the
ferret community does not know who they are and they may unwittingly
still purchase a ferret from these people or sometimes they show up on
your doorstep asking you to take ferrets for one reason or another.
People have no clue they are unwittingly being dumped upon, giving the
breeder reason and room to create more, because everyone is afraid to say
anything.  Time and again this happens.  It is not fair to the ferrets or
to the unsuspecting public.  Private emails don't always go far enough,
as in the case of DB and SLC in the '90's.  Out of town breeders who
attended shows had no clue.  People attending shows as spectators or
competitors in other states where these breeders were had no clue and
unknowingly sold ferrets to or bought ferrets from both of these people
and found out later.  That is NOT fair and it encourages the breeder to
continue.  They just figure they have a market elsewhere or they can
ship them around with their enabling friends.  Yet had it been posted
publicly, the chances of this happening although not foolproof would
have been greatly reduced.  It would have saved several people I know
a lot of grief.
 
Dawn, since you addressed me personally, let me be blunt.  If you are
going to go as far as posting to a public list that said "ANONYMOUS"
breeder did such and such.  You might as well go public.  Like half the
people on the list are not going to email you and say who is it????  Do
you think you can be any less liable by sending around clandestine emails
than to announce it publicly?  It is only a matter of technicality.  If
someone wants to go for you in a defamation suit, any email that has
anyone's name on it I would imagine would be liable.  Private or
otherwise.  But do you really think the people who do this are interested
or can afford to sue?  What would they gain?  Do you really think that
emails in these situations stay "private"?  I would think it would be
more feasible to state the facts publicly and honestly rather than have
a few emails make the rounds.  Human nature being what it is, things get
distorted more and more the farther they go and nothing ever winds up
being the way it started.  Everyone has to add their own "flavor".  I
agree that pictures should be taken immediately.  Mostly all cell phones
today have this capability.  If you take pictures and state the facts
what is there to argue with?  Even if they clean it up for the humane
officers you have the pictures and the facts.  Sometimes you just have
to take a risk to your own neck to do what is right.
 
As for banning these breeders from shows that is a step in the right
direction but you also have to watch who their enabling friends are and
ban them also.  DB was notorious for sending her kits to shows for
competition and sales with her friends who listed the ferrets as theirs.
It is a common practice with this type of breeder.  A ban does not do
much good if their friends are still showing and selling their ferrets.
 
Pat Stauffer
Weasels
http://pages.prodigy.net/staufferp/
[Posted in FML issue 5341]