The problem here is that there are two entirely separate issues
intertwined.
 
Yes, responsible pet ownership is important.  It is very important to
think and plan before adopting a pet, no question.  I have to say that I
agree with Mark's decision not to adopt more ferrets to Valerie
previously.  The reasoning around that decision makes a lot of sense.
 
I fail to see how this applies to Valerie's current situation, however.
She made the best decision she could given the circumstances, and those
circumstances changed.  That can happen to anyone, young or old.  Now she
has to decide whether or not to plead for the return of one or more of
them, act on that decision, and accept the decision of the new owners if
they decide to keep the ferrets.  There is not one iota of that situation
that shows her acting irresponsibly.  The only "lesson" I see in this is
to not give up your ferrets until there is absolutely no chance of
recourse.
 
>Anyone who tries to adopt animals from my shelter KNOWING that they
>may soon be leaving the ferrets is not acceptable, no matter how
 
Fair enough, though I fail to see how that applies to Valerie getting her
ferrets *back*.  Not making plans to leave and then adopting new ones,
but retrieving the ones she mistakenly surrendered.
 
>Eh, she's 19.  Or is she 20 now? In any case, I would never adopt to
>her as long as there was a chance she would then be leaving.  As a
 
That seems a lot like prejudgement to me.  Might as well tell a
two-year-old, "Sorry, no puppy for you; you might go to college one
day." Yes, I'm stretching the point to extremes, but I would be more
comfortable with the wording "GOOD chance" rather than the simple
"chance".  Perhaps that is what Mark means to say, however.
 
>shelter shock lasted more than 2 weeks.  Buckie hasn't even been in
>his new home for what?  A week?  Should all Zoos send back their
 
Precisely!  And yet Mark has already decided that the new family will
suffer undue hardship returning him and that Valerie shouldn't even ask.
*They* don't even know *him* well yet.  Let's let Valerie and the new
family work it out for themselves.
 
>animals after a few days just because "Oh!  They're having a hard
>time 'adjusting'"?  No. When animals are bred in captivity and
>released into the wild, should they be gathered up and sent back to
>their "home" just because they're stressed by being in the wild?
 
The analogy is pretty weak.  Released animals are not kept as companion
pets.  They are released for the greater good of their species.  It will
not affect the ferret species one way or the other if Buckie is kept or
returned.
 
>saying, or implying, that Buckie is too stressed to adapt. ...
 
It was never said nor implied that Buckie cannot adapt.  It was stated
that he IS having a hard time adapting, and to deny him the chance to
return to the home he knows without even considering whether the new
family would entertain the idea is just plain wrong.  If they decide to
keep him, he will have to adapt and (almost certainly) will.
 
>What about the feelings of the new owners?  After all, they were the
>ones who made the emotional commitment (and maybe put down some
>money) to take the ferrets.  Valerie is in no way being punished for
>anything.  She gave up her ferrets.  A new family has them.  Plain
>and simple.  Maybe if Valerie has learned a lesson from all of this,
>whatever that lesson may be, then that's a good thing.
 
But it's NOT plain and simple.  Had the Air Force accepted Valerie as
they had every appearance of doing, THEN it would be plain and simple.
Their unexpected refusal threw a nice big monkey wrench in the works, and
now Valerie and the new family have to work it out amongst themselves.
Saying "oh, well, she gave them up, too bad" is just as irresponsible as
adopting to someone about to undergo a major life change.  Yes, let's
consider the feelings of the new owners....maybe they don't even *like*
these three now that they have them!  We'll never know unless Valerie
asks, and Mark's original post wanted to deny her even that chance.
 
'Nuff said.  Let's let the two of them work it out instead of telling
them "no, it's done, it's over", eh?
 
roger & the wolverine wannabees
missing bear
[Posted in FML issue 4073]