The Sawyer post:
>I don't even know where to begin.  PETA ... FML not a place for that
>discussion.
 
Nor should it be a place for the glorification of the medieval practice of
vivisection.
 
>MF ferrets likely get some form of environmental enrichment, as per recent
>changes to the Animal Welfare Act, which may include: special food treats,
>toys, or even a technician playing with them.
 
What recent changes? What does it say?
 
>This type of enrichment and socialization is part of what probably makes a
>MF ferret so enjoyable to have as a pet (in addition to selective breeding).
>Final thought on this thread, I believe that MF must have at least one
>veterinarian on staff who is available 24/7/365.  It is likely that they
>have several vets who rotate their schedules, otherwise the individual
>would go crazy.  These are people who care enough to research and write
>books concerning the health and welfare of ferrets as pets, so we as ferret
>owners can enjoy the healthy antics of our beloved little monsters.
 
You've already said, elsewhere in your post, that you know nothing of MAR.
Where did you get all of this information?
 
>Absolutely true.  All of these are qualities that pertain to the use of
>ferrets as research animals.  Is this really important to the FML?
 
Yeah, I think so, since this is for the most part an animal lover's forum.
Most ferret lovers don't share your cavalier attitude toward the senseless
destruction of a living thing.
 
>progress comes with a price.  Unfortunately, part of the price are animals'
>lives and cash (people's lives when therapies aren't perfected or aren't
>created).  Humans use ferrets for research not because we have a right,
>but because we have a need.
 
That you have no right, I can agree with.
 
>I don't know why this is important to the FML, afterall it is the FML not
>B(eagle)ML!  Either way, it is true  and if you care to do the research,
>there are valid reasons for this type of purpose breeding.
 
Many on this forum have other pets as well as ferrets.  Some may have
beagles.  Beagles have a serious problem.  They trust humans.
[Moderator's note: Many people on this forum have cars too -- and we
don't talk about Hondas.  FERRETS are the focus, please.  BIG]
 
>What/who is RIR?  To play Devil's advocate, how do we know that this
>whistleblower didn't set the fire and there is a criminal investigation
.going on?  Until some facts are known or where the presented "facts" came
>from, it is just hearsay.  Let the fire fighters, insurance company, MF,
>USDA, and sheriff do their jobs and stop spreading gossip and innuendo.
 
The MAR fire story appeared in the newspaper.  The only one spreading gossip
and innuendo is you, and another example of it follows:
 
>This is mostly a case of he (official) said one thing, but we don't believe
>him, so instead we spoke to someone down the line who is probably less
>informed who told us what s/he thought, which matched the conclusion we
>wanted to tell everyone.
 
Next:
>Stated very simply, accept animal research (in some form) or accept
>slower, more expensive, less accurate medical progress.  I don't know any
>scientist who enjoys animal experimentation, but I know quite a few who
>feel that their work may someday help someone or someone's pet.
 
The word "experimentation" is correct.  The rest is just more conjecture.
I'm not alone in the belief that animal experimentation is an ugly, useless
relic from the past that would die overnight if not for the free and easy
tax funded grant dollars.  Dollars that should be spent on legitimate
clinical research.
 
On a more personal note, I know that every ferret that dies on a
vivesectionist's butcher block is not one bit different from the little
boy that's pulling at my pant leg this very minute.
 
Glenn J.
[Posted in FML issue 2391]