Sunday, March 30, 2008

Marshall Farms Ferret Secrets

FERRET HOLDING ROSE CARTOON


Did you know....



The Marshall family makes a killing breeding animals doomed to a life of hideous torture.

Gilman and Ina Marshall began Marshall Farms (based in North Rose, N.Y.) 60 years ago, breeding and selling ferrets for pets. Today, Marshall Farms sells its own line of pet products. They are a major supplier of animals, breeding tens of thousands of beagles and ferrets every year for use in hideous experiments for which there are humane alternatives. Marshall Farms also owns Butler Farms of Clyde, N.Y., where it breeds mongrel and hound dogs to sell to laboratories.

Lab Animal magazine - "All Marshall animals are raised in elevated, indoor pens that simulate the laboratory environment…"; "[b]y tracking all important characteristics and genetic information, and then weeding out undesirable stock, Marshall Farms can supply beagles ideal for research."

Life at Marshall Farms

Marshall Farms’ beagles and ferrets are born in small, elevated wire enclosures – the same types of wire enclosures they will be confined to for their entire lives.

These beagles have lived out their entire existence in tiny wire cages, confused and frightened.

Breeding females are kept at this facility for their entire reproductive lives. They produce litter upon litter until their exhausted bodies wear out and then they are killed.

Violations cited:
  • Inadequate Veterinary Care
  • Transport Violations
  • Improper Sanitation
  • Inadequate Space

Complaints Filed Against Marshall Farms

Two complaints have been filed with the New York State Education Department’s Office of Professional Discipline. The Association of Veterinarians for Animal Rights (AVAR) and PETA filed these complaints. They were filed because Marshall Farms uses nonveterinarians to perform surgeries on thousands of ferrets each year despite the American Veterinary Medical Association’s (AVMA's) condemnation of such practices.

Environmental Concerns:

According to neighbors of Marshall Farms, the facility generates foul odors and loud barking that can travel for miles, depending on weather conditions. Waste and feces wash into the surrounding bodies of water during rains, intensifying the stench and threatening wildlife habitats. Neighbors have also complained about the facility’s disregard for local and state laws.

One neighbor informed PETA that she was once horrified at the site of a pile of dog and puppy carcasses in a rotting heap on Marshall Farms’ property.

http://www peta.org/feat/marsh/index.html

What's the deal with Marshall Farms?

Perspective on Marshall Farms
Marshall Farms - Wikipedia


1 comment:

Unknown said...

I got my ferret from a friend whose children decided she was much more work than they expected. I've always wanted a ferret but really couldn't dish out the money for the comforts I wished my ferret to have. I could not say no to my friend. Especially when I saw the cutest ferret jumping up and down wanting me to play with her. I was beside myself with the amount of ferret "stuff" my friend gave me. I didn't pay a cent. A beautiful cage and a ferret "playpen". Endless toys and she had been loved by my friend's family. I was so grateful and felt lucky. My friend told me she had even taken her to the vet. Then I found out why. After I had her home and was in love. She was purchased from a pet store. She was 6 months old when I got her. She went into heat about 4 months after my friend purchased her. That's why she went to the vet. She has since went into heat AGAIN. Thank God my daughter works for a vet. She took her and they said take her home. She'll go out of heat on her own. I did some research after she didn't and I noticed she was getting worse and seemed to be in poor health. I found out that a heat cycle will kill my baby. Back she went to the vet. They performed a "procedure" to make her think she was bred. We're not done yet. We are looking into hormone injections. If this doesn't work they want to open her up and try to get what was missed the first time they "spayed" her. I'm so disgusted that someone would spay an animal at such an early age in life. I'm more upset that people don't know these facts. I will never buy a ferret from a pet store.