I don't often post but I need help in how to proceed with a particular person whom I have dealt with for quite some time. I have been reading about horror stories of Diane Bachman and the Rocky Rescues and I fear that someone i know is entering a bad stage and the ferrets aren't getting all they need. Well about a year ago, this person (not naming names), who was a shelter and breeder, starting moving a lot of their ferrets and quickly. For example, this person had several babies (i think in the upper 20s) and older shelter kids that all disappeared in less than a week's time, in fact, it was more like 3-5 days. The older shelter kids may have been put down and there may have been a good reason, I am not sure. But as for the babies, I fear they were sold to a wholesaler or petstores or destroyed. Well then this person went through a HUGE downsizing, some ferrets surrendered, some ferrets sold and some just plain disappeared. Now I thought this person was trying to get out of ferrets but then recently, they started breeding up a storm. Like for example, in a month's time, 10 litters will be due. I do not know how to start to deal with this and I don't want to accuse. Perhaps it is all on the up and up and they have that many contacts, but in the past, it took a long time to place any ferrets and now it's almost like the shelter has been stopped and they are becoming a ferret farm. I do not want to name names or say the state, because this shelter/breeder is well known and one of the few in the state. I don't want to point fingers or destroy this person's reputation unduly. I don't trust them and see the condition of the cages and how low and small the cages are for the ferrets upsets me. Since the downsizing, the ferrets are getting back to normal weight and cages look cleaner. But I don't know their fate if all these babies are breed for and born and they are back up to the number they were once at. Also they refuse to feed good food, they use whatever they can get their hands on and I think that is affecting the ferrets. Someone else called animal control on them and animal control didn't find anything wrong (which I don't think they took a good hard long look because the ferrets were thin and looked worn out). So I am not sure what it is that animal control looks for. They have food in their cages, however the food looks old and unsanitary. The food looks wet on the bottom and all they do is add more food. The water bottles are dirty and the cages are not cleaned with sanitizer. I am at my wits end. These people used to be my friends but after how they have treated me and my ferrets previously at their home, how to do I proceed? I talked to someone else who is dealing with a similiar situation with someone else. I don't want to give breeders a bad name as I have a few breeders myself and I breeder on occasion but for myself and a few friends. I don't agree with overbreeding. And having 10 litters due at this person's home, just makes me cry. I have been crying myself to sleep, my family is trying to support me but I have nightmares of what will happen when all the babies are born to the other ferrets. This person has a lot of people on their side (perhaps they are fooled into thinking everything is alright or they dont' want to see the problem) but I approached some people who I thought could help and only got burned from it. I just feel jaded by friends I thought would help and they are protecting this breeder. I don't think I am over exagerating or blowing things out of proportion. Please tell me what I can do. [Posted in FML issue 5183]