Just a few months ago, my friend had to put her 2 year old German Shepherd
to sleep.  She purchased him from a well known breeder-she says-for a
considerable amount of money.  She loves big dogs as I love ferrets, and
promptly fell in love with her big baby.
 
She put her dog down after thousands of dollars for multiple surgeries.
The dog had a degenerative bone disease.  No sooner was one surgery healed
up, than another was necessary.  Finally disease began again in the sights
just operated on.  The dog had suffered enough.
 
The breeder offered to take the dog back when Alice first called her.  And
she offered to give Alice the pick of her next litter: no charge.  She
apparently felt awful, and is changing her breeding lines based on what
happened to my friends dog.
 
The breeder knew who Alice was.  Both parties had papers.  Alice has her
guarantee in writing that is signed by the breeder.  She will be picking
out a puppy when time has passed to ease the pain of their loss.
 
A number of you have written that MF papers are basically worthless.  You
have ferrets with the MF guarantee papers-but the color or sex is wrong of
the ferret you have.  The gaurentee is a copy.  You never see an original.
Apparently the MF guarantee, along with their lovely glossy colored
brochure, and packed in one of their envelopes, and the copy of how old the
ferret is -- is SOOO easy to get hold of that people are buying MF ferrets
that are not MF ferrets at all.
 
I think a reliable breeder, or adopting is such a nice way to find your
companion.  People here are NOT buying cats and dogs from puppy mills
anymore.  All that I have met proudly tell me where they adopted theirs, or
went to a particular breeder.  One would be scorned and looked down upon
buying a dog from a puppy mill in this area.
 
In an age where no one I have ever met in this area will buy a puppy mill
dog--we seem to think here that ferrets are somehow less deserving-are
somehow LESS than living beings.
 
Buying a puppy mill ferret IS a popular thing to do around here.  Dumping
these same puppy mill ferrets on GCFA or in the woods, or on the street
has also become a popular concept.
 
Sunny Rhino Mud was given to me by someone who works in a pet store.  He
waas very ill.  The vet did not think he had a good chance to survive.  I
cannot break a trust it has taken years to develop and tell you anything
more.
 
The baby had a brother and sister with eyes still closed, unable to eat
kibble.  They are dead.  I saw their papers.  They were MF ferrets
according to their documents.  And they had all of them: including the MF
envelope.  The guarantee was a copy.  The date of birth was a copy.
 
I realize now that because of so many documents floating around--that these
ferrets could be anybodies.  There is no way to hold anyone accountable for
distributing ferrets this young.  .
 
The pet stores, as it has been explained to me for years, complain to MF.
But since there are no original papers given to the stores--the papers
could be copies of copies.  The ferrets could be from another puppy mill.
Heck-MF may even know about it.
 
My friend Alice will have a new pup.  The breeder as I understand it will
not breed the same dogs.  The situation was a terrible one.  But the
breeder is NOT a puppy mill with hundreds of false papers floating around
the country.  There IS accountability here.  IT does not seem too much to
ask for to me.
 
Lisette
[Posted in FML issue 3036]