My 2 cents on all of the CA posts in the last digest.  My knowledge only
comes from the fact that I live in CA, so, as always, take this advice
with a grain of salt.
 
Vets in CA: As far as I know, there has never been a case where a vet has
turned a ferret over to DF&G.  If you have gotten a vet off of the list
from FA, then you should not have a problem.  All of the vets on that list
have been contacted and are willing to treat ferrets.  If you are still
worried, contact the vet to talk about how they handle ferrets in their
practice.
 
And it is very possible to find a vet to treat your ferret on a regular
basis as well as in an emergency.  FA and LOS have a joint vet list that
lists over 200 hundred vets throughout CA that will treat ferrets both for
regular checkups and in an emergency setting.  So if you live in CA and
dont have a vet for your ferret, get one!  There is no excuse not to.  If
you still have questions about your vet, either ask him/her or contact your
local ferret club and ask their opinion about what vets they like.  (And
if you dont belong to a ferret club in CA, join today!  You'd be surprised
how much you learn, even if it is only about your rights and what you can
do about it).
 
Ferret Shelters/CDFA: CDFA is a *State Licensed* ferret shelter.  This
means that they are allowed to take in ferrets.  They are not, however,
allowed to adopt in CA residents.  All of their adoptions/placements/etc
are out of state.  To ask CDFA to adopt to a CA resident is to ask them to
jeopardize their state license.  If this happens, then CA residents will
not have a safe haven/transport out of state if their ferrtes are seized.
(A (little?) known fact is that if your ferret is seized, you can have
CDFA pick up and transport your ferret to a new and loving home out of
state without worrying if DF&G is going to do anything to your ferret).
 
That being said, there are other "shelters" in CA that do adopt ferrets to
CA residents.  I say "shelters" because it is an underground situation.
If DF&G found one of these "shelters" it would be shut down and the owner
would be fined and/or arrested.  So how do you find one of these shelters?
Join a ferret club in CA.  Not only will you have the benefit of knowing so
many other ferret owners, but there is a good likelyhood that one of these
members will know how to get you in touch with one of the underground
"shelters".  There are several clubs throughout the state, (FA, CFL, LOS ..
forgive me if I forgot someone) so you have a good chance of finding one
in your area.
 
Rowan
[Posted in FML issue 3385]