I just put the warning up for Debbie's sake, since she's adamantly stated
that she refuses to read or respond to any more of my posts on this
subject.  She has stated that I am the only one who disagreed with her.
 
Once again, I feel sorry for those people who don't understand, and
evidently never will understand.  You know, I didn't start breeding to put
up with narrow-minded attitudes and get kicked by complete strangers for
trying to help the ferret community.  I did it because I believe that I can
make a difference, I believe that I can raise animals who will remain
healthier for longer.  If anyone here *really* believes that Debbie is
right, I challenge them to NOT BUY FROM BREEDERS.  You don't want breeders
to breed?  Then stop buying from them.  You don't want Marshall Farms to
breed?  Then stop buying from them.  If you continue to buy animals then
they will continue to be bred.  End of story.
 
Debbie asked about the demand for ferrets and asked if that was why the
shelters were so full.  I said earlier, and I state again, *education* is
the key in this game.  The more people who are educated about ferrets, the
less who will buy them if they don't have the resources, and the less who
will give them up if they come across a difficulty.  Do you know that in
the shelters, most of the ferrets are given up for spurious reasons which
could have been prevented if the people had been *educated* to begin with?
 
I guess not, or else you'd all be out there information in hand.
 
Debbie stated that she has a huge placement list for ferrets.  I guess she
was being sarcastic, as she followed that comment up immediately with how
the Humane Society estimates that they kill 10 ferrets every week due to
lack of housing.  First, I would challenge anyone with the resources who
lives in an area with an automatic kill "Humane Society" to put their names
on their list as being willing to take in ferrets.  Then see how many come
in.
 
As a matter of interest, it has been speculated that one reason for the
overflowing shelters in the Michigan and surrounding areas are because of
the idiots who thought they could make money from breeding ferrets, who
found out they couldn't, and stopped breeding.  They released, gave away or
sold their stock, many still whole, just to get rid of them.  You ask all
breeders to stop breeding when the reason the shelters are full are
*because* of the people who didn't care about the ferrets' welfare stopping
breeding.
 
Debbie continues on to say that I am being selfish by breeding.  Well,
excuse me for breathing.  Excuse me for taking some enjoyment out of life.
You know, "getting kicks" out of helping rescue animals must be selfish too
then!  Why would people do *anything* well if they didn't enjoy it?
 
You then say that I wouldn't have been offended *if I wasn't guilty* of
selfish motives.  Sorry for living, I enjoy breeding.  Sorry for trying to
help, I enjoy seeing that my kits are healthy.  It's evidently a sin
actually taking some enjoyment out of my ferrets.  I mean it isn't a sin
for those who don't breed, but because I breed I must be GUILTY of selfish
motives.  Heck yes, I love my ferrets and I *will* enjoy them, regardless
of what others think I should feel.
 
I am the only negative response?  I remember seeing another response on
this in the previous issue of the FML.  I guess you didn't see it.  If you
aren't aware of what I do for ferrets within for ferret community, it
doesn't mean that I do nothing.  I don't know of anything that *you* do
within the ferret community, but that doesn't mean you do nothing.  You say
you've been doing some of my 'help' suggestions (I presume you mean the
education idea) for three years.  I've been doing just that for far longer
than three years, and plan to continue doing it.
 
You think that the breeding I do loses another ferret a chance at a home?
You're kidding right?  The people that take my ferrets do not want to buy
from a pet store, they don't want to support the 'major breeders' who are
in it for the money.  Many don't have local shelters, and even when they
do, they usually support said shelters or those shelters are currently
empty.  Sorry for bursting your bubble, but a vast number of shelters are
empty or close to it.  Just because the ones you know of are bursting at
the seams doesn't mean they all are.  Ferrets Across America was originally
designed to transport ferrets from 'full' shelters to 'less full' shelters
to ease the burden.
 
It's a shame that Ferrets Across America is currently down.
Hopefully, with some work, it will be running again soon.
 
If you truly want to help, again, stop bashing the people who are
trying to help, and start concentrating on the ones who are more of
a risk of releasing ferrets into the shelter system - such as people
who cannot cope, or don't know *how* to cope with their new kit.
 
Sam
[Posted in FML issue 2792]