Thanks everyone for your input.

Mugsy:

This animal is not going to be a "pet" which I don't know what else I would call him, but to call a mink a pet is rather dramatic, lol. He will be used in my educational program with local schoolkids. He will be a good animal to teach these young children about fur farms and the attrocities that go on there and how you should never let a wild animal back into the wild etc.

Of course I will love this animal dearly but he will not be here just for something for me to do or as a possesion. He will be an animal ambassador, and hopefully will do his job very well.

ChinaDoll:

I do agree with you on the ferret issue. I do not know how they go about selling their ferrets but I do agree with what you are saying. They should be altered before being sold. Here in our petstores there are unaltered ferrets from Marshall Farms being sold at our pet shops.