As a long time lurker here, I've decided that I NOW need to put my 2
cents in.  My husband and I have had ferrets in our home for a little
over 20 years now, and I'm not ready to let them go because of a
bureaucrat.
 
After reading Viki's posts, I decided that a couple of calls was in
order.
 
If you check any of the ads for pet products, you'll find that they ALL
have phone numbers, e-mail addys, maybe even a web site.  In 1997, I was
"encouraged" to go out and collect raffle prizes for the annual GCFA
ferret show.  I was told if I could sell houses, I could talk people out
of their merchandise.  Well, I put on my "pushy" hat and started making
calls and getting more people to give me merchandise for our raffles than
we'd ever had.  I found that just talking to most of these big companies
and giving them a little "schmoozing" went a long way.  I've made some
great contacts along the way.  I make sure that every year at the big
pet industry show held here in Rosemont, I stop and talk (often to my
husband's dismay) to each and every contact that I've ever made, whether
I use their product exclusively or just on occasion.
 
Last night (Tuesday), I called Dr. Tom Willard of Performance Foods, Inc.
When I told him what was being proposed here, I could hear his blood
pressure going up.  Since if was the end of the business day, he said
that he'd make a point of calling 2 groups that all members of the pet
industry belong to -- APPMA - American Pet Products Manufacturers
Association -- and PIJAC - Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council.
Apparently both of these groups have the legal background to either
help or send us in the right direction.
 
This morning, I called Debbie Phillips of Marshall Pets.  When she found
out I was on the phone, her first comment was "You're not happy are you?"
She had already heard part of what was going on here from one of her
distributors that was at a pet show over the weekend.  All of Marshalls
was buzzing over this.  I forwarded all of the postings that I could find
from the FML, contacted Viki Rollins to see if she'd saved the 5 page
ordinance that they were planning to pass through the City Council, and
asked her to fax them to Debbie.  Debbie said that PIJAC was already
working on some things because of her "heads up" from the day before.
Debbie said that they were really smart to do this at this time (the City
Council) -- it's summer/vacation time.  Most people are long gone to
someplace quiet for the months of June - August.  Pretty clever aren't
they!!!
 
Yes, I made contacts with 2 major ferret products suppliers.  But there
must be SOMEONE that every ferret owner in Chicago knows.  Go to pet
store where you buy your supplies -- if they lose your business that's
BIG $$$$.  Call your Vet -- I know that mine makes a fortune off me with
all my guys -- that's BIG $$$ out of their pockets also.
 
If they get this passed, what animal is next???  To not be an exotic, you
need to be native to that particular area.  Do you know what's native to
Illinois -- deer, raccoon, opossum, skunk, otter, mink, musk rat, wolf,
coyote, some very nasty-tempered snakes, turtles (on the protected list)
and several species of birds.  NONE of these can be found in a pet store.
Your cat, dog, birds or fish that you buy at the local store, ARE NOT
native to the area.  So what's next??
 
Off my soap box.
Debbi and the tribe of 6 -- missing 16
[Posted in FML issue 4218]