Two weeks and I will be driving my babies into CA to their new home.  I
will use the 'anon' posting.  I have NO fears about passing through the
'bug barns'.  First of all, I will be surprised if the stupid thing is
open.  If it happens to be open, I would die of shock if it was being
physically manned.  The guy stays in the back room and people use the
two pull-throughs to try to pass each other and do not even stop at the
stop signs.
 
Some of the bug-barns are scheduled for closure, as they are useless,
costly and fall under 'budget-cuts'.  I work for government offices in
CA, live in OR and drive the bug-barns 2-4 times a day.  I have even
taken by babies to work with me a couple of times.  However I do not take
them over to the Dist.  Atty.  office with me because they are mandated
to uphold the law.  But they all know I have ferrets, live in Or, so
they let me slide because they adore the babies.
 
The Vets here in Crescent City will not even allow a ferret into their
office.  I have even handed them the paperwork showing that it is now
legal for vets to treat ferrets in CA, but now realize that they are
totally ignorant in the area of ferret care.  You couldn't pay me to take
a ferret to one of these vets.  I have even met a guy (and what a cutie)
that was in a Fish and Games uniform.  I told him he was the cutest
mortal enemy I have ever encountered.  He stopped by my job and played
with the ferret.  He had never seen one and he asked ME what all the
raucous was about them being so dangerous.
 
Max is the 'hush-hush' mascot for the legal system in the extreme
Northern Calif area.  I DO NOT worry about the bug barns.  I still cover
the ferrets because we do have some mean highway patrol and state police
here on Hwy 101 and Caution is VERY important.
 
If you are at the barn and there is a living human working.  NEVER admit
you have fruit or ferrets, they could ask you to step out of the car.
 
The barns are open for 8 hours (one shift) and then closed.  If they are
open and you are uncomfortable, you can easily wait them out.  I have run
a lot of ferrets for people.  The barn guys know I work for the DA and he
waves to me as I zoom through.  But I am only talking about the barn on
Hwy 101.  I have no idea what the others are like.
 
Anyway, this is just my 2 cents worth of info.  Good luck to all of you,
and have a safe journey.  Deva
[Posted in FML issue 4572]