In August 2005, at the request of the IFC and several other ferret
groups and individuals, the USDA published a notice of petition and
request for comments on ferret specific standards for the Animal
Welfare Act. Approximately 1,500 of you responded, urging the USDA to
enact such standards for the care, handling and transport of ferrets.
(For background information, see a reprint of an AFA article written
by Mike Morrett at <http://www.ferretcongress.org/USDA/USDA_AFR.pdf>

The wheels of our government grind slow sometimes, but they do move!
Recently, Dr. Freddie Ann Hoffman and Dr. Sandra Kudrak wront to the
USDA to find out the status of the petition. This is part of the
response they received:

>....."The Agency has discussed the results of this petition and had
>decided that the provisions of [Subpart F-other warm-blooded mammals]
>are adequate to properly ensure the humane care of ferrets, with one
>exception.  We believe that the age at which the ferrets are
>transported is important.  Therefore, you may be pleased to know that
>we are in the process of publishing a proposed rule that would require
>that ferrets, and other warm blooded animals, must be at least 8 weeks
>old prior to transportation.
>
>Also, since Subpart F consists of general performance standards for
>the most part, you may be happy to know that we will ensure that our
>inspectors are aware of the specific needs of ferrets so that they can
>better enforce these standards.  We are developing training materials
>specifically for this purpose.  In no small part, the comments we
>received are helping us put together this training.
>
>Signed
>Chester A. Gipson
>Deputy Administrator
>[Animal Care, APHIS, USDA]

What does this mean? Well, we won't have ferret specific regulations,
but they ARE working on an 8-week minimum age for transport, one of
our key concerns. They are also working on training material so their
inspectors will know how the generic provisions of Subpart F should be
applied to ferrets.

It's not a complete success, but it IS an important victory for ferrets
and their owners!

Linda Iroff
International Ferret Congress
http://www.ferretcongress.org

[Posted in FML 5617]