Hello all, it's Tiana.  I haven't been reading for a while, as i just got
back from spending 9 wonderful days with my furries over Thanksgiving break.
I was so happy to be able to play with my kids!!!
 
About the 82 furry victims ... I can't write much about this because I'll
start crying again (as i was when i read about it) ... but I do want to say
that I am utterly horrified, and that it is one of the worst things I have
ever heard.  In the past I have heard of single ferrets being abused and
have always been both disgusted and bewildered -- HOW could anyone hurt one
of these beautiful, loving, wonderful little creatures??  -- but to try to
kill over a hundred of them in such a horrible, painful way -- I can't even
begin to think about it.  It is absolutely unfathomable.  My heart goes out
to all of their poor little souls, as well as to Jean.
 
We have to try to obtain some justice for these babies.  Someone posted the
phone number for the local police department.  In my personal opinion, phone
calls will probably be less effective than letters -- jamming up the
switchboards might just make the police less willing to help.  Does anyone
have an address to which we could write requesting help?  It sounds to me
like this is an incredibly sick individual, and we should do everything in
our power to see that he is punished for his acts (although I highly doubt
this will happen since I believe that he can only be appropriately punished
if he is stabbed and injected with poisons and left screaming to die just as
all of those poor darlings were).
 
Now ... deep breath ... okay.  I have another reason for posting.  When I
was home, I went to a pet store to buy litter.  This store is part of a
rather large chain which sells ferrets -- and they treat them terribly.
Small kits are always in an absolutely filthy cage, their food is
disgusting, their water bowl continually filled with shavings and litter and
I don't even know what else.  So of course I am torn between wanting to buy
all of the ferrets they have just to get them out of that unhealthy
environment, and not wanting to be a consumer at an establishment which does
this.  I've always hated this situation, but this last visit it seemed worse
than ever.  My question is this: what can I do to try to change this?  Does
anyone have experience with this problem?  I have this burning need to
convince these people to treat the little creatures decently, but I just
don't know how to effectively go about it.
 
If anyone has suggestions I would be grateful.  Please email me privately.
 
Sorry about the lenth of this post.  My candle burns for the 82 ... *Tiana.
[Posted in FML issue 2144]