When I wrote my first post on the subject of blacklisting "ferret
abusers," I wrote it from the perceptive of what COULD happen, rather
than what HAS happened.  As I caught up on the FMLs, I noted Betty had
been placed on the group's blacklist.
 
I know Betty and her husband James (perhaps one of the finest ferret
artists I've ever seen).  I've stayed in their home, so I have a good
idea about how they care for their ferrets.  And that is the operative
world, CARE.  There are not many people I would trust with one of my
ferrets, but I am so convinced of their ability and dedication, I
wouldn't hesitate to adopt to them.  I wouldn't hesitate to give them
MINE if I was forced to relinquish them for any reason.
 
As far as I am concerned, the act of placing Betty on the list is an act
of slander.  Betty, you KNOW I live a life of turning the cheek, and if I
make a complaint about a specific person, it is only after a tremendous
amount of provocation.  But if I found my name on this list, I would sue
the moderators and all involved faster than you can say lawyer.
 
PEOPLE, THIS IS WRONG!
 
There are a lot of people on this list considered ferret experts, but
there are days that each one of them can be found wanting in their ferret
care.  For example, I am not complusive about the length of my ferrets
nails.  My ferrets get to dig, which helps a lot.  I use a combination
of sweet hay and straw to cover the floor, and bales of hay for climbing
and tunneling, which polishes the claws, helping to prevent snags.  I use
strips of terry cloth toweling for bedding, so even if someone gets a
snag, they are not trapped by a length of 6 inch cloth, 1-2 inches wide.
But a complusive nail clipper might be horrified if they saw the length
of some of my ferret's claws.  As another example, what about people who
have a lot of ferrets?  Assuming you need 6 hrs sleep, work 8 hrs, and
spend 2 hrs driving, shopping, showering, whatever, then you only have
8 hrs (480 minutes) to spend on your ferrets IF YOU DO NOTHING ELSE!
If you have 24 ferrets, then you only have 20 minutes to spend on each
ferret.  Is that fair?  What if you have 48 ferrets?  Is 10 minutes per
ferret a fair amount of time?  If *I* don't think so, does that mean I
can blacklist ANYONE, regardless of the quality of their care, as long
as I can suggest they cannot spend adequate time on their fuzzies?
 
And what about the person who makes a mistake that harms a ferret, but
learns from the experience?  Once on a list, how are they forgiven by
the ferret community?  Are they EVER forgiven and allowed to grow into
responsible ferret caregivers?  It is one thing to list people who have
been CONVICTED in a court of law, and another thing altogether to list
people based on the suggestion by even a handful of members.
 
I was against this type of group from the beginning, but seeing Betty's
name on the list, I am now ready to wage war.  Betty, I suggest you
contact the list owner and threaten a lawsuit.  Better yet, have a
legal professional initiate contact.  This is outrageous.
 
Bob C
[Posted in FML issue 4139]