>From: Paige Marie Baldassaro <[log in to unmask]> >Subject: Sandeborne Ferrets for Adoption This was unfortunate news from my own state. >Many of the kits will be for sale for $100 each in a few weeks. >*All proceeds go to the shelter.* Shelters should NOT breed for the purposes of funding! Especially shelters that arespecifically having troubles with over-population. Even though our shelter is not comingling donated funds with breeding expenses we stopped breeding when we had too many ferrets in the shelter. If you folks want to be breeders thats fine but do not use the false front of doing it for the shelter. Shelter and breeding ferrets should be kept seperate especially from a shelter that has is actively seeking donations. Your web page shows that you are seeking donations from Igive. It is highly inappropriate to use shelter funds to care for breeder ferrets. There is nothing wrong with the same folks being both a shelter and breeders but keep it honest. Small scale breeding does not generate income but rather generates costs. Those costs should not be passed along to the shelter. Seperate the two operations. We've been at this a good while yet not nearly as long as others. Dayna has not. It is questionable if she has been a shelter longer than she has been in Virginia so listen to those with more experience in these areas, especially in our state. We've had enough problem breeders in the state so we don't need a shelter pumping out kits for the wrong reasons. I do not mean to come down too hard on you folks from Blacksburg and Tech. So far the ferret community hasn't become too organized that far south in the state. Please call some of the other breeders and shelters in Virginia and find out how they do both. There is Georgia Bailey of Dragon Run Ferrets and us in the Winchester area. Vickie McKimmey in Leesburg. I can't recall if Lisa has gotten involved in breeding at this point - she would do a fine job is she has - in Virginia Beach. Pam Troutman in Springfield has done both. I think Sue Selby in Hampton has been involved in both. Contact info for all of these is available at http://www.ferret.org/shelters.htm As far as I know the other shelters don't breed and the other breeders don't run shelters. Talk to me privately about any concerns you have about me. Things might not be what others have told you. -bill -- bill and diane killian zen and the art of ferrets http://www.zenferret.com/ mailto:[log in to unmask] [Posted in FML issue 2678]