Its happened! The russian foxes are now for sale!

pawzaddict

You cant compare field work for conservation purposes and domestication research to create a new pet because they are two totally different things

I just dont think the research here is valid. Field research still allows the animal to live as it should, in the wild. The research there is to see what it is the animal needs and does while living in the habitat it lives in, also it is to determine how it lives in the environment. To domesticate an animal and do research on the genetic changes due to domestication to see what happened in the past is one thing (the one which I do not see a point to), but if they are doing it because the population is severely threatened so they want to domesticate the fox because there really is no habitat left for it in the wild then that is another thing. If they are doing genetic research to see what is different about this subspecies and other fox species thats another thing.

I dont know why ferrets were domesticated but by no means am I domesticating ferrets...I have gotten them that way If they were just now domesticating ferrets I would not own them, but they are domesticated, I do not pay hundreds or thousands of dollars for them and only rescue them because they suffer in the average home.

I am not all for domesticating animals because they are cute and because someone wants to do research. Domestication and field research are completely different things.

Criosphynx

so its not just the idea of selling them as pets that offends you? Its the acutally process of domesticating them? If Iam not mistaken they wanted to make it easier on the fur farmers to handle the animals...obviously in a perfect world, there are no fur farms...BUT imo its better to have domesticated, less stressed animals in the farms than wild ones terrified out of their minds

The intent was never to offer them as pets, do you think they should be euthanized when the project runs out of funding? Curious

pawzaddict

I read that the initial objective was to study the genetic changes from domestication to learn how the dog was domesticated and they had to turn and sell them to make a small profit. I would like to find more documents stating the exact purpose of the study. If it was for fur farms why are they not in the fur farms? IF its because those morons did not want to use them after the fact (probably b/c of the cost, cheap B******s LOL) then yea I can see this being justified (the selling of them for pets).

If the purpose of the study was b/c of genetic changes due to domestication then I stand by my original opinion.

Criosphynx

the study began in the 1950s. These are the first foxes available to the public as pets in 2010. I hardly see making pets as their motive since they waited 60 years to offer them. They have been pet "worthy" since the third generation. I think times have changed and I speculate that the fur industry is not as it once was.

Also, I don't think they are profiting, what I have read is they needed funding, otherwise the whole place closes...so if they close what would happen to the foxes? They'd have to euthanize them.

anyway, I think we agree, sort of, but are saying it differently lol

pawzaddict

I would have to research it more and see what the original motives were since I obviously had the wrong impression. I just remembered reading that the purpose for the research was to understand how dogs were domesticated.

Shananigan

Oooh, how cute! I did look up some videos of them! I might move to NV and get one! jk, maybe one day. I've got a long list of pets I one day want to own. Not all at the same time (I'd need a huge farm), but just throughout my life. I think next on my list I'd like a Great Dane. Totally off the subject, just thought you guys would like to know though! lol I believe I just added that Fox there to the list. They'd love my house! (live in the wilderness)

bloo97

Aaawww!!!!!