Okay, new story today! We've now had TWO different people calling on two different pretexts to the owner of these ferrets in Michigan to find out what's really happening. The first call was "we can organise some homes for these ferrets, how many do you have, and how many where there and can we help?" That got the response "Misprint in the paper, not that many ferrets, and they're almost all gone now and don't want help" The second call, from Linda Iroff, was "I'm a breeder looking for breeding animals do you have any?" The response this time? "I have HEAPS of ferrets left, and give them out in trios (two males one female) to breed from. You're welcome to them" Okay, so the owner isn't giving the full story out, just what he thinks the people want to hear. Right now, I'm wondering what the people in Michigan are planning to do to educate the people who have taken these other ferrets. I know that some people are overworked and the shelter operators are in many cases full. The shelter operators don't need to be the only ones out there involved in educating the public. They're the ones knee deep in ferret poop already trying to help the ferrets they have. The private owners who have some time, and there will be many of those, can just go out to their local pet stores and vets and leave pamphlets with information and/or a phone number so people can ask questions. Owners from all over do that and suddenly, there seems to be information going out to those who are ignorant of proper ferret care! Only a little done by many equals a lot. Okay, onto the next point. I have spent years doing my best to help the ferret community and ferrets in general. I am still learning all I can about ferrets, and I can never learn enough about them. The day I stop learning, is the day I die. However, some people have sent me emails asking how someone from way over here can know more about the locals? Well, I'll tell you something. ANYONE who is interested in knowing the TRUTH will be willing to take any and all information available to them, and try to sift out the bull from the reality. Now, generally, when the SOURCE of problem (in this case the owner of the ferrets) says something, you take this as the truth, and not the 'rumour' that has been passed from hand to hand and phone to phone and internet message to email. Come on, you've got to be kidding right? I don't care where you live, if you're willing to make the phone calls and talk to the source, then you take what you're given as truth! In this case, who knows the full truth, the guy is being cagey and won't give it. So, if anyone chooses to believe someone's gossip over the original source, they are free to do so, but I prefer NOT to receive rude emails saying that I do not check out my information. Shortly, I'm sure, I will calm down and respond to this person who outright told me that she does not read this so-called "fascist FML" and yet quotes pieces of it at will. Until that time, I'm off to try to finish what I started a long time ago. Actually help the ferrets, not harm them by sending malicious notes and spreading unproven rumours. Sam ----------- To see some awesome ferret cards, drop in on http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~fanmail/cards/ferretcard.htm [Moderator's note: Sounds like the same person who called me all sorts of names because I didn't allow her post which called a subscriber a "shameful idiot". BIG] [Posted in FML issue 2554]