Deb mentioned the importance of verifying and this illustrates that.
Several people tried to verify the PETA claim in the past and didn't find
any confirming evidence that any such proposals or applications existed.
Anyone have anything new on this other than from PETA (since that is the
source being confirmed)?  It's entirely possible that someone found
confirmation of which I'm unaware.  If so, please, post it, and tell how
it was found so that others will learn the technique used in case it's
needed later, too.
 
Question: is PETA STILL claiming in print and interviews that domestic
ferrets are wild animals which are unsafe as pets and which should be
released to the wild?  I am HOPING that they have changed that stance.
Anyone know?
 
It's not like they haven't done some things right.  Reducing the fur market
is absolutely wonderful.  Just have a really hard time with their false
assessments of ferrets and hope those have changed, also am worried by the
lack of confirmation on something that was rumored around for years.
 
After all, all of the large farms have things which need to be improved,
including MF but it pays to eliminate the rumor aspects and concentrate on
those things that really CAN be improved: the problem with the shipping
dept.  sending out ones too young at times (which SEEMS to have improved
though not stopped -- improvement is just my impression so it might be real
or might not), the lack of supervision of some distributors who don't make
sure that each kit gets the care and nourishment needed, the need for an
older shipping age in general, improvements in medical care for kits when
neutered, etc.
 
Meanwhile, don't forget that the absolutely worst horror stories have come
in relation to bad backyard breeders.
 
This is a good topic to discuss IF people don't just rehash the old things:
HOW do you think these problems can be best tackled?  HOW can protective
legislation be gotten in place?  (Remembering here that some states still
need to have legislative changes which protect ferrets as is outlined in
the Compendium -- so in those states the same route might be used for
each.) HOW can industry-wide improvements be made?  (If people rehash the
old complaints it's just going to be the same circle again -- and again and
again -- and will be worthless plus will annoy people who have been through
it all several times a year every year.)
 
MF certainly has things wrong with it, but it's also THE ONE large breeder
I've ever read of which has helped try to fight anti-ferret political
forces, and THE ONE which has helped improve veterinary care for ferrets
from what I've read -- though I could be wrong and hopefully other large
breeders are doing more than just making profits from ferrets.  Yes,
tackling these issues will help MF in the long run when successful, but
the successes also help their competition and they most certainly help ALL
of US and help OUR FERRETS so it would be good if every large breeder also
took an active interest in such causes (just as ferret folks need to take
an interest and make efforts).  Making times hard for MF without also
tackling the other large breeders -- which have just as much wrong with
them (but might have less right with them)-- makes no sense for ferrets in
the long run.  So, HOW DO INDUSTRY-WIDE IMPROVEMENTS GET MADE?????????
Otherwise, all that will happen is that the places which have not improved
will out-compete the ones which have improved in terms of price and the
whole things will either start again piecemeal or maybe even get worse.
 
You WILL want to read the back-issues which discuss things already tried
and think about this before commenting.  New ideas are DEFINITELY needed
to be considered, but rehashing the same things that come up a few times a
year isn't going to give any progress and will just make life unpleasant so
needs to be skipped.  The people here have EXCELLENT brains and creativity,
and lateral thinking is not unknown in the ferret community ;-) so let's
have some NEW ideas thrown in for debating since both the good and bad of
each would need to be considered up-front.
[Posted in FML issue 2906]