>From: "Capt. Nodrog" <[log in to unmask]> >Subject: Ferst for adoption Harrisonburg is in "our area" as a shelter so let us know if you or she need our help. We're about a hour north and we get down there now and then. >From: Sukie <[log in to unmask]> >Subject: insulinoma instances; KISTA; "freedom"; radio show Kim of Kista is among the folks we most respect operating shelters. There are indeed folks that are so pitiful that to get attention they resort to attacking anyone better liked than they are. Its too bad. It worse when it seems one particuarly bitter person seems to be manipulating someone who is emotionally unstable to cowardly hide their own intentions. John Boy and Billy are just plain obnoxious. They put a bad face on everything. I stopped listening to a radio station as soon as they started playing that syndicated abomination. The worst thing ever to recently to North Carolina is for the rest of the country to see them as any kind of depiction of that state. >From: RRC <[log in to unmask]> >Subject: Bob C: Q-N-A: Masked Slave Trade Ferrets and pigs aren't slaves. Beasts of burden are perhaps. Slaves aren't eaten, they are used for labor. Pigs are a crop. Ownership doesn't define slavery. I own the pear sitting on my desk. But I can't make it scoop our ferrets' litter pans. Rights are bestowed along with responsibilities. Pets including ferrets have no responsibilities really so they can't have rights. What can be seen as a ferrets rights to proper food and other care are instead the owner's responsibilities. We humans are obligated to obey laws pertaining to the proper treatment of our propoerty including our animals, from living up to our responsibilities we do not lose our rights. Which leads into the topic of overbreeding jills. When jills go into season a second time in a year it often (but not always) is from their bodies 'thinking' that they 'lost' a litter. It seems to be an evolutional thing where if they have a litter and lose it before natural weening they naturally try to replace that litter. This is one reason we let our jills decide when to ween. Forcibly weening or any other way of causing extra litters to our way of thinking is a ranch mentality. It is perfectly legal but is a different way of thinking than those of us who are hobby breeders of our pets. But not a different kind of ferretry than say Marshall farms, Triple-F or those that breed for Hagen. There is at this point a need for ranches, but ranches shouldn't pretend to be hobby breeders any more than breeders should pretend to be shelters when they sell their kits. Responsible breeders do act as shelters as it is a way to pay back the community of ferret owners for supporting their hobby. Over breeding jills is far closer to slavery than having ferrets as pets. Still not really slavery as the word doesn't fit. b&d -- bill and diane killian zen and the art of ferrets http://www.zenferret.com/ mailto:[log in to unmask] [Posted in FML issue 3057]