I have a very strong opinion on this.  I rescued for nearly four years
before I bred a ferret.  The first litter was not even of my own breeding
last year, they were bred by their owner, then I fostered the mother and
litter until she went home.I kept the kits.Mom is spayed now.These kits
are the beginning of my own breeding lines.  They've been evaluated by
other breeders, and are quite nice, even if their colors aren't perfect.
Structurally they are great.  Temperaments are superb.I and my family held
them every day and loved on them from the time they were moved to my house
at 3 weeks old.
 
I say, if you breed ANYTHING, you should help rescue.  After all, you are
putting animals out there which you are responsible for living and You
SHOULD help rescue in some way.  I have seperate food bins for the rescues
and my own ferrets.  I have seperate bedding for them too, although I
made or bought most of it.They have seperate shampoo bottles, earwash,
everything.  I take any money from adoption fees and put it right back
into the rescues, food, litter, water bottles, food bowls, ferretone,
ferretvite, shots, medical bills, the phone bill, electric, ALL of the
money goes right back into the rescues.I spend more on them than even the
adoption fees cover, but the fees have to be reasonable too.  I do it
because I love them.
 
I can afford to take excellent care of my own ferrets.  But when we get
more and more surrenders, that can be hard.  A year ago, I had 2 ferrets,
both rescues I kept, Fidget and Baby.I didn't get many calls for rescue.
Now, we had web presence, and I went from taking in 2 rescues every year
for 3 1/2 years, to 11 this year.1 of those is a permanent rescue too.
She's 7 now, but healthy as can be.She's living her life out with us, where
she is stable, loved, happy, and dignified.  Our GrannyBaby deserves that.
Yes, I decided to take on the responsibility of her myself.  But yes, I
will ask others to help support her, without shame.I don't expect.I asked.
And you know what, our wonderful new friend Tanya in CA did just that.  She
sent a tremendous care package to her and Sterling last christmas, from the
Giving Tree.I cried and cried over knowing that I'm not the only one who
cares about these homeless fuzzies.It made me feel so good, to know we
aren't the only ones who loved them, a stranger 3000 miles away thinks they
are precious too.
 
I document everything I do on my own egroups list.I keep all receipts to
display should I ever be questioned.  I look at the happy faces of a new
family with their adopted ferret, get the updates on their lives, and
though it is only one or 2 at a time, I made a big difference to somefuzzy.
Now I make a difference to even more, And we curently hav 19 ferrets.Yep,
19.  6 rescues, 1 perm,plus my son's ferret, Fidget our mascot and my first
rescue who is also my soulmate,Plus 2 hobs,another one to be v-hobbed,4
jills, one with 3 - 2 week old babies- 1 baby jill 2 baby hobs.  I plan on
MAYBE having 2 litters per year.And I know that I am responsible enough,
with my years as a shelter, to find good homes for them.I made sure I knew
what I was doing before I decided to plunge into breeding.  Still, I'm a
newbie at it.But I'm not new to ferrets.I didn't just decide one day out of
the blue to buy a ferret to breed.  I never thought I WOULD breed, to be
honest, but, I found a wonderful friend, a great mentor, and a local club
who have been wonderful and supportive.
 
If you breed and can't rescue, well, support rescue however you can with
time, transport, donations, whatever.  Every little bit counts.but it's
only the opinion of one person, me.
 
off my soapbox now,
 
Kim(the furless leader) Fidget the MFR Mascot, Dragon, BaneSidhe, Titan,
Odin, Ione & Kits, MandyPandy, Ilsa, Kenzie,rescues: GrannyBaby, Sterling,
Siggy, Sassy, Sid, Spanks,& Jet.
 
==
Kim Wolf, Mystyx Samoyeds,MFX Ferrets, and Ferret Rescue.Member Critter
Haven East Region.
Visit our Websites:
www.petfinder.org
www.geocities.com/mystyx_samoyedsnferrets
[Posted in FML issue 3326]