Someone too cowardly to post under their real name wrote:
>I want to know how long Sam has known about the ferrets she brought to
>the US were positive.
 
Sam answered this.  Besides, she didn't "bring" any with her - the last
bunch was shipped a year ago.
 
>Wasn't most of these ferrets not spayed and neutered?  Didn't lots of
>them get mated here and had babies and they were sold to lots of people
>all over the US.
 
Speaking for the last shipment, none of them were spayed or neutered when
they arrived.  But there were firm agreements with Sam as to who would be
fixed at the appropriate time.  My Seamus was neutered at seven months of
age.
 
>Did any of them get tested for Alutians and do the people that bought the
>baby's know they might have Alutians?
 
We received health certificates from the NZ MAF with the ferrets that
stated point blank that there was NO Aleutians in New Zealand.
 
>Didn't Sam come here in the summer and bring ferrets lots of times?  Thats
>really scary that there could be lots of Alutians here in the US and
>people who bought the ferrets might not even know.  Did Sam tell each
>person she sold ferrets to that they might be sick?  Or did she just
>post it to the FML thinking people will read it there.
 
Oh, brother.  Not that it's any of your business, but yes, Sam did notify
the owners individually as soon as she realized there could be a problem.
And it's true that it's scary that there is a lot of Aleutians (please note
the correct spelling) in the US.  Every ferret owner should be testing
their ferrets.  And we shouldn't be keeping secrets.  But insinuating that
a single, small breeder in NZ has caused some huge outbreak is ludicrous.
The outbreak has already happened.  ADV is here.  It started here, and it's
spreading.  Probably more rapidly than any of us wants to accept.
 
>I am scared for these poor ferrets who did nothing wrong and now might die.
 
You should be.  So, what are you doing to support ADV research?  Have your
ferrets been tested?
 
>Also I think Sam should be more worried about the Alutians that she
>caused here in the US and not so concerned with her wedding plans, like
>she thinks its not important.
 
Let me get this straight --- Sam should postpone her wedding because
ferrets in the US are testing positive for ADV?  What purpose would that
possibly serve?  What do you suggest she do instead of getting married
that would change anything?
 
Come on folks, let's keep this discussion realistic and mature.  The
finger-pointing is useless, and certainly won't help save any ferrets.
When the ADV discussion popped up last year, I certainly buried my head in
the sand and said "it won't happen to me".  I'm not proud of it, but that's
what I did.  And now ADV is in my home.  It doesn't change my love for my
ferrets, and it doesn't change how they will be treated in any way.  But I
hope it can serve as a wake-up call to anyone who is thinking like I did.
It *can* happen to you.  It may have already happened.  You won't know
until you test.
 
Joanne
[Posted in FML issue 3331]