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The couple who used their pet ferrets as bowling balls - then posted the footage on YouTube
Last updated at 17:52pm on 15.04.08A callous pair who used their pet ferrets as bowling balls before posting the footage on YouTube have defended their actions, saying 'It's not cruel - ferrets love playing games'.
The sickening video shows Andy Thomas, a YMCA employee, and a female colleague hurling the creatures across the floor to knock over improvised skittles.
During the film, the woman owner of the two male ferrets can be heard joking 'now I've got video evidence for the RSPCA' as she throws one towards empty plastic bottles.
The two clips, which are each around 30 seconds long, have now been removed from the video-sharing website.
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Sickening: The video shows Andy Thomas hurling the ferrets across the floor to knock over improvised skittles made out of plastic bottles
The pair were reported to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals by Thomas's brother Lee, 38.
Mr Thomas said: "He [Andy] is being cruel to animals. If I didn't say anything about it I would be just as bad. The worst thing is that he finds it funny.
"A lot of people are cruel to animals and get away with it, but here is video evidence to prove it."
But Thomas, a roller blading supervisor, defended his actions last night, saying: "It's not cruel - ferrets love playing games.
'It's not harmful. I didn't know the film was being taken or that it was on YouTube. But it is intended to make people laugh.'
His female colleague, who is no longer with the YMCA, also insisted: "They enjoy it because they play and bounce around.
It's not dangerous - they are well looked after and get regular check-ups and walks.'
But Kath Airey, from the RSPCA, said: "Anything like this is particularly concerning and needs reporting to inspectors.
'They will investigate. The RSPCA would not hesitate in prosecuting if they found an animal had been abused.
'It's basically adults using animals as a toy. I certainly would not like to be thrown across the floor like a bowling ball.'
The ferrets, which are aged between four and six months and were adopted from a resuce centre in Halifax, West Yorksire, were unharmed during the incident.
Cyril Love, general secretary of the YMCA, also in Halifax, confirmed he had asked the pair to stop once he realised what was going on.
"It did take place at the Halifax YMCA,' he added. 'I saw it myself and asked for it to stop. I thought it was cruel and inappropriate."
Reader views (8)
Natty: by your logic, you'd never know what your animals like or dislike. Does my dog enjoy playing tug of war? I believe so, but she's never explicitly said so.
Ferrets, much like other animals, show dislike in a particular way. These ferrets weren't struggling or biting or doing anything to stop this from happening to them. In fact, the little hopping around and running back for more indicates just the opposite.
- Leigh, London, England
At the risk of being thrown straight into jail and being branded a child abuser for life, my kids used to love being slid across a polished floor when they were younger! Get a life all you whingers - as Barney says the ferrets would leg it if they didn't like it, not to mention bite!
- Paul, London
What is the matter with you people - how would you know that the animals enjoyed it - are you all Doctor Doolittle? Perhaps lets ensure we mute you so you cant speak your feelings and then chuck you head first amongst a load of bottles and see how you like it. What gives us the right to use animals as playthings for our own sick enjoyment? If people had done this to children the social services would have a field day.
- Natty, London
Strike- ridicules story - the Ferrets are obviously enjoying themselves or else they would run away! This news is pointless!
- Barney Hindle, Manchester
Have you ever seen the teeth on a ferret? Defenceless they ain't!
- Paul, London
If the RSPCA really want to look foolish, they should prosecute. The ferrets were running about quite happily around their handlers and did not look at all distressed, just before the end of the film you could clearly see that one had stopped to play with the bottles. Ferrets are far from defenceless and would more than likely have made their disapproval keenly felt.
There seem to be a lot of cases lately where the RSPCA jump on something because there has been publicity, it may be time that they stopped being so po-faced and concentrated on preventing real cruelty. The RSPCA are in danger of becoming a joke.
- Carla, Stirling, Scotland
Ferrets are very playful animals. It appears that no harm was done, they were having fun.
- Susie, Fort Worth, TX USA
I see lots of evocative and sinister discussion of the event, but nothing that says the animals were distressed at all. Did these 'cruel' animal owners have to chase down their presumably cowering pets for repeat performances? Were they sliding them along that slippery floor after grabbing them any old how, without regard to injury?
If the animals were being treated cruelly (from the animals perspective!) then the people involved must clearly be held accountable. That would be unacceptable in any decent society. But this 'evidence' appears minimal at best - suggesting the possibility rather than the fact of cruelty.
- Rogan, DFW Texas
