Since my name was mentioned, I wanted to comment.
 
I am primarily first and foremost a shelter - I have run the Pennsylvania
Ferret Rescue Assn of Centre Cty since 1997.  You can check out our
website (it's out of date, sorry!) at www.ferretrescue.com for more
information.  You can also check out my Petfinder site at
http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/PA58.html
 
All shelter ferrets are spayed/neutered before adoption and none are used
for breeding.  That would be irresponsible.  My breeding stock comes from
responsible breeders who track their lines.
 
I started going to shows around the same time and became very involved -
I used to show horses and loved that.  Showing ferrets was even more fun.
Eventually I started judging, as well.
 
Over time, I made the decision that my personal ferrets were all going
to be from good private breeders.  This was after I lost so many of my
personal kids to the common diseases that ferrets face.  I wanted to
stack the deck in my favor by supporting responsible private breeders who
were actually trying to improve bloodlines, so I would hopefully have a
healthier, longer-lived ferret in my life.
 
After much research, I then started to breed ferrets in 2001 - Novel
Beginnings (http://www.geocities.com/novelbeginnings/).  I am a VERY
small breeder (1 - 2 litters per year) and homes are *always* lined up
prior to the breeding even taking place.  All prospective homes are
interviewed very thoroughly (the same as my shelter kids are) and all
my kits so far have gone into homes with folks that I have known for a
minimum of 3 years.
 
The PFRA and Novel Beginnings are two completely separate entites with
separate bank accounts.  I do not breed to support my shelter, although
all kit fees do get deposited into the shelter account.  I just want to
have a healthier, longer-lived ferret, which I think everyone would like
to have.  I work with other breeders, I track my lines (not just the
ferrets I keep but all the kits in the litters), I read and research and
do the best I can to be an ethical breeder.
 
I can only speak for myself, so if you have questions about the PFRA or
Novel Beginnings, please feel free to ask.
 
>Yes I will agree there are responsible breeders out there and
>responsible shelters out there but on the other hand there are some
>that are just as bad at the "backyard" and "mass" breeders that try to
 
That's true.  But like with anything you purchase, it's up to the
consumer to ask for references and research themselves to make sure who
they deal with is reputable or not.  All the information is out there if
they just care to look.
 
>gone home and cried after seeing a so called "GREAT RESPONSIBLE BREEDER"
>at a show who is well known push a ferret back onto a concrete floor
>making it slam down because it bit her.  They were frankly nasty ferrets
 
Either you misinterpreted what you saw or I think you are mistaken that
someone like this is highly regarded in the ferret community.
 
If it was that upsetting, you should have said something to the show
registrar.  Something similiar happened at the recent HOFA show in
Columbus, OH and because someone reported the people, a backyard breeder
has now been shut down and at least one ferret was rescued from being
euthanized.
 
>breeders but until people boycott mass produced ferrets then nothing is
>going to change so let's try and give the ones that need homes good
>loving homes instead of bringing more into the world.
 
If you don't support the reputable private breeders, then your only
option for adding ferrets will be the commercial farms.  I personally
don't accept that.  I do my part for the homeless ferrets by running a
shelter, but when I want a kit I either purchase from a reputable breeder
or now I breed myself.
 
I always urge folks to adopt shelter kids first - but sometimes you
really want a kit and where can you go if petstores are your only option?
If you buy from a petstore, you are only perpetuating the cycle of supply
& demand and keeping the commercial farms in business.
 
Basically, everyone needs to make their own choice and support what they
believe in.
 
Mary
 
**********************
Novel Beginnings Ferretry
http://www.geocities.com/novelbeginnings/
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[Posted in FML issue 5008]