--------------------------------------- From: tle <[log in to unmask]> Ferret Charity - The woman is probably "finding" the pets and selling them but at least they are going to a concerned pet store and not a laboratory! It could be much worse. ________________________________________ Just a note. Very few labs accept random source animals for testing. Due to their unknown experience, they make poor test subjects. Further, they can introduce any number of diseases, etc. to a facility. Facilities are maintained (usually) SPF (specific pathogen free), that is, they would not run the risk of having to innoculate their test animals against diseases like parvo, distemper, etc. as the innoculations can interact with test drugs, etc. Further, using "random source" animals is very controversial. Being controversial in unnecessary ways is very undesirable for labs that wish to maintain a low profile. Certain militant anti-research groups have made it dangerous for some of the most well intentioned, least intrusive, and responsible researchers to do their research. I even see labs using animals for behavioural research (that is, just experiments where we observe an animals behavior) encounter this sort of threat (personal and professional (one animals experience is priceless and irreplaceable)). Well, I'll step down from my soapbox. Hope that I'm not stepping on toes in the process. kari -- --() ______ Kari Toyer / o) \ / \ _ (and Sunshine!!) <____ \ / \ \\ \ \_/ \ \\ (402) 472-6643 \ __ \ _// [log in to unmask] \ / \ ( )_/ ||`--' \__\ | _|| _\| "Ferrets have two modes: asleep... and in trouble!!" [Posted in FML issue 0963]