Disclaimer: This is a letter regarding Marshall Farms and past problems with shipping ferret kits despite storms and inclement weather predictions. If you're sick of the MF debate, skip my post. If you're not interested in hearing about it, just skip it. Please don't flame. This post is intended simply as a call to people interested in this particular aspect of the problem, NOT to provoke more debate. If you don't agree with me on this issue, JUST SKIP IT!! This is my attempt to do something to try to stop a problem as I see it, and to see if anyone else is interested as well. NOT intended as a debate-starter, or another piece of the controversy. .. Hi everyone, Many of the worst stories I've heard connected to Marshall Farms have had to do with babies being shipped even in impending ice and snow storms. Ferret groups and shelters have had to respond to emergency situations where the babies (sometimes a significant number of them) were stranded in airline cargo departments without food and water, unable to continue their journey (sometimes for days) because of the weather. Some stories can be found at http://www.geocities.com/spsac/marshall_farms.htm. They can provide a reference for past instances of shipping baby ferrets even in obviously horrendous (and forecast well in advance!) storms. What I'm hoping that many of us ferret lovers can do - immediately or as soon as possible - is to start bombarding Marshall's with letters and e-mails reminding them of past gross errors that have left ferrets to slowly freeze to death (and remember that some of these stories are from a year or two ago; these days they're shipping them so young that they've barely got any fur, which will even further reduce the chance they will have of surviving an extended stay in a below-freezing temperature). We need to forcefully remind them that their past history of shipping ferrets without caution or regard for inclement weather has ferret owners concerned...and watching. And that we do not want to see a single shipment of ferrets frozen to death or with respiratory distress from being kept in the cold or stranded at an airport without food and water. If anyone feels like doing this, I think it could not hurt to let Marshall's know that ferret owners, ferret lovers, and ferret rescues have their eyes and ears open this winter and will not tolerate any ferrets suffering the cold or dying from exposure. If you'd like to help, here's the address to send a letter to the President of Marshall Farms: Garry Marshall, President Marshall Farms USA, Inc 5800 Lake Bluff Road North Rose, NY 14516 Their e-mail is listed as [log in to unmask], but I doubt that Gary Marshall sees too many of the e-mails. Actual letters will probably make more of an impact. I plan on sending mine certified so that I can at least prove that they received it! Marshall's is famous for not responding to e-mails or letters but at least I'll know someone signed for it and got it. Please, make your letters well-worded, spell-checked for errors, and professional without stooping to threats or insults. It's important that ferret lovers come across as concerned and caring as well as controlled and reasonable. If you're connected to a ferret rescue or group, and you make reference to it in your letter, be especially careful not to make any statements that sound threatening or insulting. (Please note that stating that you will not buy Marshall Farms products if they continue to ship kits in snowstorms is perfectly OK; you are making a statement as a consumer). Make your concern known, let Marshall's know that you are aware of past errors and expect that they will not make the same mistakes this year, and that as a concerned ferret lover/owner/rescuer you will be one of many people with eyes and ears open to make sure nothing horrific happens to cases of baby ferrets. We have to be the voice for our furry kids who can't speak up for themselves or their brothers and sisters. Let's do what we can to show that we will not tolerate any carelessness that leaves ferrets to suffer and die just in the interest of shipping them to a pet store as quickly as possible, as young as possible. Join me in letting Mr. Gary Marshall know that we are watching and we will continue to take an interest in how these ferrets begin their lives. We will not tolerate frozen DOA kits all in the name of profit. It's of course my wish that Marshalls has learned from past errors and WILL be more careful this year; however I do not actually hold out much hope for that! I think there needs to be some "encouragement" from us. Thanks guys, Heather [Posted in FML issue 3629]