He's At It Again!
 
It has been brought to the attention of The Ferret Nook that Mr. Rick
Robbins of Granite City, IL is at it again -- raising ferrets for profit in
squalor and inhumane conditions!
 
Last year I was contacted by a Humane Society Investigator from the Southern
Illinois area to see if we would be able to take in the ferrets if they were
impounded by the state.  She had been working on this case for over a year
trying to close down this particular breeder.  This person lives in the
Granite City area near St.  Louis, MO.  The animals are being kept in a tin
shed on his property without proper ventilation, no light, and cramped and
inhumane conditions.  The ferrets are being housed in 1 X 1 X 1 foot cages,
sometimes 2 to a cage, stacked on top of each other.  Along with the ferrets
being kept in these conditions, he is also breeding pot bellied pigs, and
rottweiler.  They are all being kept in the same area.
 
The investigator worked very hard last year to close this man down.  To no
avail, with the result being that the Department of Agriculture gave Mr.
Robbins time to clean up the premises and reissued his license.
 
Here we are again, August of 1997 -- the same investigator, the same
scenario, the same conditions as last year and the year before, only there
are more ferrets involved.  The investigator counted over 250 on the first
visit after the complaint was made.  (The complaint being that someone
purchased 2 ferrets [$15/20 a piece] from Mr. Robbins and took them home
when they began to attack each other.  Maybe it could be because these were
2 intact animals that had never been housed together before!  Of course, the
ferrets are not vaccinated, nor are they altered before selling and no
contract for altering is issued to buyer.) The investigator stated last
week, after viewing the premises that approximately 1/3 of the ferrets have
perished.  They have experienced a few 100-degree days in that area and
since the ferrets are housed in a tin shed with no ventilation and in
cramped conditions we can all surmise what the outcome was.
 
Mr. Robbins has until Monday, August 25, 1997 to clean up his operation and
again, be reissued his license.  It's time to let the State of Illinois know
about this situation and to stop the abuse.  We all need to write, fax, or
phone the powers that be.
 
Governor Jim Edgar
207 Statehouse
Springfield, IL 62706
217-782-0244 (Voice)
217-524-4049 (Fax)
[log in to unmask] (Email)
http://www.state.il.us/ (Website)
 
Illinois Department of Agriculture
ATTN: Dr. David R. Bromwell
Bureau of Animal Welfare
PO Box 19281
State Fairgrounds
Springfield, IL 62794-9281
217-782-6657 (Voice)
217-524-7702 (Fax)
 
 
Ferret hugs,
 
Kathy Fritz, Director
The Ferret Nook
Cambridge, WI
(608) 423-3315 voice/fax
[log in to unmask]
[Posted in FML issue 2044]