Today The Wirral Guild of Ferreters and I went along to the Much Hoole
Country Fair.  TWGOF had been invited by the organisers of the Country Fair
to part in the event.  (BTW Much Hoole is a village to the west of Preston,
Lancashire, England.) TWGOF were receiving no fee for attending the show
with their ferrets, I was also asked by TWGOF to take my ferrets along so
that we could could put on a good display for the public.
 
The organisers of the event promised that suitable shelter in the form of
space in a marquee or a stable would be provided for the ferrets.  We took
the organisers at their word, a verbal contract being binding.  I arrived
at the show ground at 0845 probably a few minutes after Thorr and Ingga of
TWGOF.  Thorr was looking absolutely disgusted at the shelter they had
provided as being suitable, an old garage one half of which was filled with
junk, the access to the garage would have been dangerous to public, it was
also tucked away in a corner.
 
We voiced our concerns to the main organiser who couldn't really care less
about the welfare of our ferrets.  Told us we could use the area of the
show ground that a football team had been going use, they were no longer
attending the show.  We duly drove over to that part of the field, no
shelter what-so-ever, not even a hedge!  The ferrets would have been
exposed to a fairly strong breeze easterly breeze.
 
The main organiser was muttering something about expense of hiring a marquee
*just* for ferrets.  We were doing the show for nothing with our ferrets as
an attraction, the children love meeting the ferrets and cuddling them -
thank heavens we don't have to worry about rabies!  What completely naffed
us off was the fact that the organisers had provided a marquee for a pet
show that was due to take place at noon and would possibly occupy the 20' x
30' marquee for a total of one hour, the rest of the time the marquee would
be empty but 40 ferrets could sit in their cages out in an open field with
no cover at all for 9 hours, but little Johnny's pet bunny rabbit must be
in a marquee to attend a pet show lasting less than an hour.
 
Thorr tried to get the organisers to see sense but the bloke in charge,
a local undertaker by all accounts, just didn't want to know. His attitude
was take it or leave it they're only ferrets! After about 30 minutes of
trying to get the morons to see sense we gave up and went home.
 
When I arrived home I phoned the NFWS legal advisor to ask what our position
would be regarding expenses, she informed me that we have a good case.
They'd promised to provide suitable shelter for the ferrets, we took them
at their word and fulfilled our part of the verbal contract by turning up
with our ferrets, sales goods, display boards, ferret roulette etc.  I've
left the expense claiming to Thorr and Ingga, I feel sure that Ingga can
write a pretty scathing letter about the complete disregard for the comfort
and welfare of our animals.
 
Sheila
Bolton Ferret Welfare & National Ferret Welfare Society Newsletter Editor
http://www.btinternet.com/~sheila/ferrets.htm (Last Update 31 Aug, 1998)
Waiting at Rainbow Bridge: Jill, Deanna Troi, Cameron & Carnath
[Posted in FML issue 2418]