Stop the Senseless Gassing of 800 Ferrets in Denmark

To:  The Danish Ministry of Justice, The Government of Denmark, The Roskilde Police Department, The World Society for the Protection of Animals and Foreningen til Vaern for Vaergelose Dyr (animal welfare agency)

Stop the Senseless Gassing of 800 Ferrets in Denmark


To: Lene Espersen, the Danish Minister of Justice, The Government of Denmark, the Roskilde Police Department, the World Society For The Protection of Animals and Foreningen til Vaern for Vaergelose Dyr (animal welfare agency)

We, the undersigned, petition the Government of Denmark, the Danish Minister of Justice, the Roskilde Police Department, the World Society For The Protection of Animals and Foreningen til Vaern for Vaergelose Dyr (animal welfare agency) for help and assistance in saving/rescuing the lives of approximately 800 ferrets at Ferpharm, in Coppenhagen (Roskilde) Denmark.

The Danish Ministry of Justice’s own website cites the following regarding animal welfare:


“The Animal Welfare Act is aimed to ensure protection of animals from pain, suffering, anxiety, permanent injury and serious distress. Anyone who keeps animals must deal with them carefully. If a veterinarian becomes aware that an animal is not treated appropriately, he has an obligation to report it to the police.
Anyone who wants to keep carnivores or other big animals locked up in cages etc. must obtain police approval of the cages.
A zoological garden, wildlife park or similar facility may only be established subject to a licence from the police. Likewise, a licence from the police is required for operating pet shops, boarding kennels and animals' homes, etc.
Cosmetic operations may not be carried out on animals. Certain dogs kept for hunting may however have their tails cut off, which has to be done by a veterinarian before the dog is five days old. Puppies less than eight weeks old may not be transferred unless the mother dog is transferred with the litter.
All dogs born after 1 January 1993 must be marked with either a tattoo or a chip and entered in the Danish Dogs Register, Parkvej 1, 2680 Solrød Strand. The full text of the Animal Welfare Act, Act no. 386 of 6 June 1991 as amended most recently by Act no. 80 of 9 February 1999, can be looked up at the Legal Information site www.retsinfo.dk.
In addition, a range of animal protection rules have been issued. They are also accessible at www.retsinfo.dk.”

Now, using their own verbiage, we pose this question to them – how on earth can the gassing of 800 ferrets not be contrary to this Animal Welfare Act “mission statement”? Does gassing them for no good reason relate anywhere at all in that first line about protection from pain, suffering, anxiety, permanent injury…or maybe serious distress? Is this justice for those animals? We think not.
How can this breeder be allowed to breed, sell and amass wealth, doing so for fifteen years and then just throw away his “stock” like they’re scraps from the dinner table? These are living creatures that feel pain and, conversely, could be allowed to feel the love of a good home. To not live life in a cage, to play with toys and tunnels and other ferrets, to know the love of a human being, to know what it means to be “home”. We have pleaded with the breeder to allow us to rescue all or some of the ferrets and adopt them into loving, forever homes. He has refused this offer time and time again.
We now have to wonder that because of the enforcement of these “animal protection laws”, coupled with the breeder’s multiple citations for animal cruelty (past and present), if the welfare of these beautiful, intelligent, living, breathing creatures THAT FEEL PAIN is being exploited to prove a point on both sides? The breeder will gas them to keep himself out of jail and then sell the pelts to the fur traders, but the Danish authorities would have him gas them to stop the cruelty? Can you not see the absurdity of this?
Wouldn’t it look better for EVERYONE involved if the animals were saved, rescued and adopted? This is no minor chore for us. We realize that it is a huge undertaking. But we are willing to attempt it to save the lives of the ferrets. Why is it that we, a group of ferret lovers and owners, are willing to do so much work, at great expense, but the Danish authorities and the breeder are not willing to step out of their comfort zone in the slightest?
Please consider the lives of these animals FIRST. They are the real losers in this game. Help us help them. Thank you for your consideration of this petition.

Sincerely,

The Undersigned

The Stop the Senseless Gassing of 800 Ferrets in Denmark Petition to The Danish Ministry of Justice, The Government of Denmark, The Roskilde Police Department, The World Society for the Protection of Animals and Foreningen til Vaern for Vaergelose Dyr (animal welfare agency) was created by Members of the angora ferrets Yahoo group as well as other ferret owners and written by Lisa Oestereich (lisa@leedg.com).  This petition is hosted here at www.PetitionOnline.com as a public service. There is no endorsement of this petition, express or implied, by Artifice, Inc. or our sponsors. For technical support please use our simple Petition Help form.