I read the stories on the MFRAN web site. Those are not legal affidavits. They are stories written by semi-literates based on poor grammar and bad spelling. They are stories of impressions and feelings not pertinent facts. They did not rescue ferrets. They boughth ferrets. But MFRAN wants more ferrets and more noteriety. So they call it a rescue and ask for your money to finance their purchases. We ran a rescue for many years. If we bought a ferret we bought a ferret. It wasn't a rescue. If we wanted more ferrets we never asked for money from others. When I read the stories I understand that Doug McKay is old and very poor. And the three authors are hatefilled probably lower middle class city snobs. We have some busy bodies in Michigan doing the annual beat up on the frail old man. Annual in that various people in Michigan beat up on Doug every year for at least 14 years now. Subsitance farmers tend to have junk piles. Well most farmers do. It costs money to have refuse hauled off. The poorer the farmer the more that cost seems less important than well eating. The authors seemed to blame McKay for it being winter and them being somehow not quite smart enough to dress warmly. We used some of the feeders Doug used. The ferrets did indeed like to eat from top. It had nothing to do with the bottoms being frozen. One of the authors made a surprising discovery, cats are curious. Barn cats often end up being a rather mixed looking bunch. The cats are working animals on a farm. They are there to control pests; keeping mice out of the feed. But anyone familiar with barn cats might be actually surprised if the barn cats are all so friendly. The accusatory approach used in describing the cats backfires. It was cold wet and muddy. Well it was wonter. Mr McKay is not responsible for it being cold wet and muddy in winter in Ohio. TLE had mentioned wanting an impartial third party to observe. Fortunately she had her wish. THe federal, state and local governments have all been at McKay's farm over the years and have all decided, impartially, that the problems are not what the detractors claim. No lawyer has been involved with MFRAN it seems obvious. More testimony if need be? Affadavits of it being cold in winter? Using a single bite incident and a single ferret to paint all of the ferrets as "biters" and ill? The bitten hand? The victim seems to not know how to take care of herself. She's let herself get infections based on the redness around the punctures. Sick ferrets? I see a few pictures of an albino ferret with a full winter coat. Like Cinnamon Sprite, I don't see the problem. >From: [log in to unmask] >Subject: Re: DM > >For those still vigorously defending Doug Mckay....although I do not >personally know him.....It's evident from the affidavit and pictures >that he and his family are disgusting human beings with little regard >for the life of animals. Ill say it again....the world is a better >place when people like that are no longer here. > >Tyler Wow. That was a brilliant observation. You hate that much? Its a pity. Hating that much is not healthy. Wanting people dead? BIG would have stopped that in the past. [I didn't interpret Tyler's statement with the same negatively as you. BIG] I know of no one who thinks its great that Doug McKay has a ferret and mink ranch that provides his only means of staying alive. I think the vigor is not so much defending McKay but vigor in stopping a mean spirited and ill advised witch hunt. No one thinks this very old man in very poor health has the ideal conditions for his ferrets. Doug McKay and his family have always been described as kind people. They have always been kind to us. People have always taken advantage of him. It seems MFRAN has done so also with the stories where they wanted to take his ferrets for less than normal prices. MFRAN is just the latest incarnation of the uneducated mob going after McKay. As a complete aside, thinking now about the inane statement from on of the laughable affadavits "Empty 40-pound bags that read as its contents being 'mink food.'". She meant in English "Empty 40 pound bags of mink food." If you happen to read this Bob, have you ever looked into whether the mink food is as grinding on the teeth as cat or ferret kibble? It is a much different textured food. I'm sure it has plenty of problems as a kibble but it might not be quite as hard on the teeth. Bill and Diane Killian [Posted in FML 5543]