>From:    Alicia K Drakiotes <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Re: zen remarks on adoption screening
>Ferrets are now becoming saturated across this country from pet shop
>sales and promotions-- the supply and demand theory-- quite quickly
>in the pads few years we have seen manageable ferret conditions for
>shelters become overcrowded and overpopulated.
 
You blame pet stores.  Perhaps the problem lies in the ferret shelters
themselves.  Maybe we need to reassess HOW shelters redistribute ferrets.  I
still keep seeing posts from shelters in some places with more people
wanting ferrets than they have ferrets.  In areas such as the greater
Metropolitan DC area their are shelters that are just to darned political.
Some folks claim full credit for being shelters but don't ever take in
ferrets.  Those that do (or run relocation services where they put folksthat
want to give up in touch with folks that want) are over-burdened.  Some of
the good ones spend too much of their time dealing with attacks from overly
political zealots.
 
>Now why don't you understand my fury over the merchandising of living
>creatures?
 
I understand the words you are saying and think blaming those who buy pets
is the wrong way to handle the situation.  Too many shelters (dog, cat and
ferret) think that they and only they can determine who is worthy of a
dog/cat/ferret.  They force folks to search for pets outside of shelters.
You used emotional appeals about "poor freezing ferrets" rather than an
intellectual argument here.  Emotions are good but they should be used
carefully.
 
>It would seem that Mr. Tilford was not completely honest in reporting his
>incensed ire over screening as no one has any prescreening information
>submitted.
 
So in your assessment the shelter is honest and he is not.  Since it is
likely you were not present at any possible contact, you have no basis for
determining the truth of this disagreement.  Nor do we so we will not decide
which of the posters is more accurate.
 
If we were to talk to a shelter about adoptin an animal and they asked us
our income we would immediately cease all efforts.  There wouldn't be any
paper trail.  Using the tems screening and pre-screening in this case sounds
like doublespeak.  It doesn't mean anything and makes it sound like Mr
Tilford is a liar.  You and we do not know exactly what happened.  We do not
support or condone prying questions such as income level.
 
The note about someone who adopted from Fran Wiles shows a MUCH better
approach.  Apparently Fran (she is our friend) told about how expensive
ferrets can be and let the potential adopter decide if that was a feasible
expense.  Fran has told me of at least on incident where she turned down a
potential adopter so there is no justification of calling her too lenient.
She is rahter extremely picky without being nosy.
 
Running a ferret shelter neither makes someone an angel or the devil.  It
also neither means they are truly experts on ferrets nor completely clueless
either.  Shelter operators such as us and the Drakiotes are just people with
different opinions on some issues.  Other folks should decide for themselves
what they want to believe.
 
bill and diane killian
zen and the art of ferrets
http://www.zenferret.com/
mailto:[log in to unmask]
[Posted in FML issue 2148]