Dear Anonymous,

The Agricultural inspection stations have been different things at
different times the last 10 years in CA. At one moment they are
checking every car and truck coming through. Then next moment they
are checking random cars. The next they are only checking commercial
vehicles. For a while they were closed down altogether. (Some still
are.) They reason for all of this is funding. We never know from one
day to another what they are doing because they don't give us any
notice. Personally I don't think they know.

For those of you who don't know. There are 6 agricultural inspection
stations that are on the main arteries coming into CA. With ferrets
being illegal in CA, if you are stopped your ferret will be
confiscated. Some station officers will bend the rules and let you turn
around and go back. You would be horrified at how many people choose
not to and hand their pets over. They then the officers call rescue and
we have 48 hours to pick the ferret up and take it back out of state or
the animal will be euthanized (this has never happened in the 8 years I
have been doing this).

The Ag station your are talking about in Needles in the busiest one.
After the station being closed to private vehicles for over a year.
They have opened Needles back up, trying a new program. Needless to
say we are picking up a lot of animals.

The best way to avoid this is to go to the www.ferretsanonymous.com
site and click on "Avoid the Checkpoints." There you will find ways to
drive around the Ag stations. These directions are all tried and true.

Let me say this too. Should you get stopped at a station. Smile and
play nice. You will get a lot father. Most of these guys don't like
this law anymore that we do. They are just doing their job. The guys
at the Needles station especially so. Their are a few that truly worry
about these little guys when they come in. Last week they held 3 way
past the 48 hour rule, until a volunteer picked these 3 up.

Good luck, be careful, and be informed. If there is anyone out there,
especially in AZ that is close to the CA border that would be willing
to be a volunteer pick up, we never have enough and are always looking
for more help.

Thanks,
Robin Jones
California Domestic Ferret Assoc.
FURR Rescue

[Posted in FML 5523]