>Many points have been made during this discussion, some very good on both >sides, some way off the deep end. But one point I've not seen made is the >fact that if it weren't for pet stores, how many of us would have gotten >our first ferret? Not me. I didn't know anything about them until I saw >them at one. I didn't find out that shelters exsisted until I had already >owned four fuzzies. I'm glad you brought that point up, Sherry. I'm another person who wouldn't have gotten my first ferret if not for pet stores. When I got Zorro, my first, I knew there must be ferret breeders somewhere, but had no idea where to find one, and I had no idea that ferret shelters existed at all. And then there's also the fact that some people just aren't near a shelter and/or breeder. Luckily, the store where I bought Zorro (and I wish I could remember the name...although I don't recall seeing another store with that name anywhere else, so I don't think it was a chain) kept the ferrets in excellent conditions and the sales personnel were knowledgeable. I also recall seeing a sign that said they sold only puppies and kittens from local breeders and not from puppy and kitten mills, so I was impressed by that. Unfortunately, I think it's going to be a fact of life that some pet stores will continue to sell animals. Given this, I think we should strive to see that those pet stores that do sell animals adhere to certain standards through both legislation and education. Education should be the first recourse. If someone goes into a pet store and sees ferrets (or any animal, for that matter) being kept in poor conditions, they should ask to speak to someone in charge and politely point out the problem and let them know how to remedy it. If that doesn't work, or if the animal is in a situation that presents an IMMEDIATE threat to its health and safety, report the store to the local animal authorities. Find out what your local laws are regarding the requirements of pet stores in regards to the health and safety of the animals they sell, and if those laws don't cut it, try to have them strengthened. In an ideal world, everyone would acquire their pets from either a shelter or a reputable breeder, but unfortunately this isn't an ideal world, and as long as there ARE stores that sell animals, we should make sure that if those stores don't voluntarily adhere to certain health and safetey standards, they should be required to do so by law. Regarding the issue of Modern Ferret with Playboy model Tiffany Taylor on the cover, I have to say that I found nothing objectionable about the issue at all. As others have pointed out, Ms. Taylor did not appear nude, and there was nothing in the article that I found out of place in a family magazine. The article wasn't about Ms. Taylor posing for Playboy, it was about Ms. Taylor's love for her ferrets, something we all share. One thing that bothers me (although luckily I haven't seen it occurring on this list) is the implication that if a person poses nude, they are somehow automatically a bad person, and I think that the article with Ms. Taylor proves that thought to be untrue. Anyone with such an obvious love for her pets is not a bad person. Also, I think the fact that Ms. Taylor is a celebrity of sorts will provide some positive exposure for the ferret community. First of all, her picture on the cover might prompt a few people to pick up Modern Ferret out of simple curiosity and end up being hooked on ferrets. Second, it might encourage other celebrity ferret owners to speak up about their own pets. That would mean that not only would we other ferret owners learn more about celebrities who own ferrets, the rest of the world would see that people of all types own ferrets. It looks to me like a win-win situation all around. Just my two cents. Dooks, Lisa Mom of Zorro, Claudia, Loki, Fezzik, and Crysin ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ "When you say words a lot they don't mean anything. Or maybe they don't mean anything anyway, and we just think they do." --Delirium of the Endless in "Brief Lives," by Neil Gaiman [Posted in FML issue 2681]