Jacquie, PLEASE, please tell your pet store to inform their California
customers how to avoid the check points today.  How can you even think of
keeping it a secret, knowing that confiscated ferret are dying of heat
exhaustion and being euthanized at your border?  You said that this...
affects you directly and that you won't be taking your fur kids through
the weak points anymore... than you have nothing more to worry about.
 
Jacquie, keeping the weak points a secret because you personally want
to keep using them; and you don't want the Fish & Game department to
reinforce them, is wrong.  If ferrets are dying because of this lack of
information, then we MUST publicly broadcast it!  Please feel free to
continue to use the weak points around the border as often as you wish.
I can assure you that your route is very safe from the F.&G.  They can't
do anything about it.  Just don't flame us for NOT withholding this info.
People need to know!  The main point I have here is that EVERYONE has the
right to know how to bring ferrets safely into the state of California.
No one should have to leave their ferret behind, because they are moving
here.  They need our help to keep their ferret family together.  And no
one here should have to live a life deprived of the love, happiness, and
joy a ferret brings.  Just because one person wants to keep the weak
points a secret based on fear?  Just so they can freely use it whenever
they want to without any fear?  Jacquie please, FEAR NOT!  The Department
of Fish and Game has nothing to do with border inspection and if we shout
into their ears about the weak spots, there is nothing that they can do
about it.  Yes, they have power to confiscate ferrets, but border patrol
and inspection is not their job.  That belongs to the Department of
Agricultural; and they have already issued a statement that the domestic
ferret is not a threat to the agricultural industry of California.  They
are not opposed to ferret legalization.  The Department of Agriculture's
job is to protect the agricultural of California by stopping diseased
fruit and animals from entering into the state.  Rabies is also not a
threat to California's agriculture any more than ferrets are; so I'm
guessing this is why they don't ask about dog license/rabies shots any
more.  I stress the word "guessing" no flames please.  Again I say, they
do not actively search every car looking for a smuggled ferret.
 
Tell me Jacquie, of the hundreds of times that you went through the
station with your dog, how many times were you asked to get out of your
car and had all the contents of your belongings inspected?  Yes, there
are people who do get caught at the border.  Yes, if confiscated ferrets
are not picked up by a shelter/rescue group than the Department of
Agriculture has no other choice then to contact the Department of Fish
and Game to come and pick up the ferret.  I never said it doesn't happen.
I just relayed my personal experience at the HWY 15, 40, & 10 border
crossings; which if I remember correctly, someone was requesting and
wondering if there was anyway around them.  I'm very grateful that The
Ferret List exists and continues to keep people informed.  (Thank you BIG
for all your hard work!)
 
Jacquie, you are very lucky that you live in Yuma, Arizona where ferrets
are legal; however, don't begrudge us here in California from having
ferrets too.  We live with enough stress, guilt, fear, and judgement in
our lives because we choose to have them.  We don't need people slamming
us for the information that we give out on how to get them here.  Lets
face it, we are going to bring them in anyway; we cannot imagine living
life here without them!  We love having them just as much as you do and
there is nothing wrong with knowing how to get them here.  Ferret lives
are depending on us knowing how to get around and through the check
points!  Fully disclosing to people and your pet store about how to avoid
the check points will put a stop to the confiscation and subsequent death
of ferrets at the border!
 
Pam
 
[Moderator's note: I could be wrong, but I don't recall Jacquie writing
anything about wanting to withold the info -- that was someone else.  But
the info is pretty public in any event.  BIG]
[Posted in FML issue 4571]