After reading LOS'er Dawn's post from a couple of days ago, I feel the
need to comment and ask a few questions.
 
Dawn,
 
You made an offer to people who would be unable to attend the upcoming
LOS ferret show.  I've been attending shows for many years, and I can
understand offering to purchase raffle tickets for those who cannot
attend, but offering to pick up, transport, and show their ferrets for
them?  I really find it hard to believe that people actually condone
this and take you up on this type of offer.  What is the point in sending
your ferret to a show if you're not going to be there?  It couldn't
possibly be for the experience of a show since they can't physically be
there.  Shows are stressful enough, but I'd think they would be more so
when the ferret's owner is not there.  I'm not sure I would ever feel
comfortable handing my ferret off to someone to travel whatever amount of
distance just for a couple of ribbons.  Even if I knew that person well.
I certainly wouldn't hand my ferret off to a complete stranger to take
to a show under any circumstances.
 
What if something happens to the ferret?  What if it gets sick?  Or
injured?  Or gets loose?  Or God forbid bites someone at the show hall?
Then what?  No matter how trustworthy someone is, things can go wrong
and the unexpected can happen.  Not only is the owner handing their
ferret off to someone who is probabl y a complete stranger, but what does
the person picking up the ferret know about the ferret itself?  It's
behavior?  What it's been exposed to?  Asking for proof of vaccinations
and ADV testing is all fine and dandy, but who knows what the ferret has
been exposed to since it's been tested?  What if it was exposed to ADV,
or the person who was picking up the ferret had a ferret that was exposed
to something, which then in turn exposes the ferret they just picked up?
How would these situations be handled?  Honestly, and this is JMO, but
anyone that would send their ferret to a show with someone else is more
concerned about winning a 10 cent ribbon then their ferret's welfare.
 
In this day and age, don't you think this kind of thing goes against all
the precautions we, as ferret owners, take to keep our ferrets healthy
and not exposed to unnecessary risks?  Yes, you are taking a risk anytime
you enter your ferret in a show...and the consequences are yours alone to
shoulder if your ferret comes home with something.  But having someone
else's ferret as your responsibility, and still taking that risk?  If
that ferret later tests positive for ADV, the person that took them to
the show will be blamed.
 
I understand people do sometimes send their ferrets along with friends
to shows, but randomly picking up strangers' ferrets to take to a show?
I don't know, I have a bit of a problem with that.  Sounds to me like a
way to get more entries and more $$$ for the LOS organization.
 
And your statement about ALL of your division Presidents AND members
being trustworthy......you know for a fact that every single member is
trustworthy?  How do you know for a fact that every member would be
responsible enough and practice the necessary precautions before, during,
and after the show?  You don't.
 
As far as division presidents go...wasn't one of your's banned for life
from another organization's shows for falsifying vaccination records??
That does not strike me as trustworthy at all.  So people are just
supposed to assume that this person's records are now legit?  That would
make me extremely hesitant about handing my ferret(s) off to one of these
"trustworthy" div.  pres..  But then again I may be in the minority with
my feelings about this topic.
 
[KO]
[Posted in FML issue 4632]