>From:    Alicia K Drakiotes <[log in to unmask]>
 
Since you made some pretty condemning assessments of us we felt a longish
response was warranted.  But this it.  No more on the list.  We don't need
personal attacks and rebuts on the list.  Therre were so many misconceptions
that we've had to break the response up...
 
>>From:    zen and the art of ferrets - bill and diane<[log in to unmask]>
>>Subject: Zen's rebuttal of A-X posting
>>Nearly every shelter ferret placed IS potentially a loss of a sale for
>>Marshall.  Sorry but that's the way it is.
 
>Well, hello again Bill and Diane.  I have to disagree here with your reply
>to alphachi's post.  The sale of the kit was made prior to it needing
>shelter.
 
I'm sorry you pulled that out of context; the discussion was about the
retired breeders which would NOT have been sold as kits.  But
unfortunately, it is also true that shelters compete with breeders and pet
stores.  Not all shelter placements would usurp a sale from a breeder or pet
store but many or possibly most would.
 
>but how can you -- unless you wholeheartedly condone the disposableferret
>theory, sit there and pound your keyboard in defense of the producer and
>claim they are losing money to shelter adoptions????
 
I state that because that is the way it is.  Unfortunately.  Its idiotic to
claim we "condone" "disposable" ferrets.  We run a shelter because we very
much hate that some people do consider pets disposable.
 
Its not a "theory" but there are people that buy pets and then throw them
away.  This is where the term "disposable pets" comes from.  We have also
received ferrets in our shelter because a child purchased a ferret without
parental permission and the parents made the child give up the pet.  We try
to pick up the now homeless ferrets and give them a chance.  Where did you
get the idea we didn't?  We're sorry if you've been mislead about our
intentions.
 
A person wants a pet and they decide on a ferret.  They have four choices:
   1.  A petstore sale
   2.  A private breeder sale
   3.  A ferret shelter
   4.  A less organized adoption or sale from a private ferret owner.
 
Until shelters (not all since many of us understand) acknowledge that it is
a choice to the "consumer" that we have to compete for they will have
trouble placing adoptees.  Unfortunately many have chosen to fight through
declaring all breeders evil.  They aren't.  We do not particularly like the
ideas of pet store sales of dogs, cats or ferrets.  But the pet fancy
breeders are allies of shelters.  Most do take in and place unwanted pets.
When someone contacts us about ferrets we try to put them with the right
ferret for them whether it is a kit or an adoptee (or both since we've had
kit adoptees) We keep our shelter usually empty or close to empty partially
because we have figured out how to do that.  Placing the shelter ferrets is
actually somewhat easier for us than selling our kits.  There are too many
advantages to the adoptees which makes them easier to find homes for (i.e.,
shelter ferrets are already spayed/neutered, have been "taught" acceptable
behavior, housebroken, etc.).
 
>More can be accomplished by working together, not tearing each other apart!
 
Please heed your own cry.  If you feel you must continue the mudslinging,
could we please do so in private.  None of the FML readership really wants
to hear why you think we are evil because we see things differently; nor our
rebuttals having to defend our position or explain what we are trying to say.
 
bill and diane killian
zen and the art of ferrets
http://www.zenferret.com/
mailto:[log in to unmask]
[Posted in FML issue 2004]