L.I.F.E. mailed, faxed and emailed the following letter last night to HSUS
presidentPaul Irwin.  If/when we get a response, we will post it here.  --
Howard
 
<begin text>
June 5, 1995
 
 
Paul Irwin, President
Humane Society of the United States
2100 L. Street NW
Washington, DC 20037
Dear Mr. Irwin:
               RE: Rachel Lamb on CBS
 
The League of Independent Ferret Enthusiasts (L.I.F.E.), a national
association of clubs and shelters working for the advancement and humane
treatment of domestic ferrets, urgently requests clarification of statements
made on the May 31 CBS Morning Show by HSUS official Rachel Lamb purporting
to represent the position of the HSUS regarding the domestic ferret.
 
The statements made by or attributed to Ms. Lamb and the HSUS by news
reporter Hattie Kaufman in this news segment appeared to go far beyond the
official October 1992 statement of HSUS policy on domestic ferrets and
contained irresponsible distortions designed to poison the general public
against these playful and affectionate companion animals.  What we wish to
know is whether her statements accurately reflect HSUS policy.  If not, we
believe you owe it to the community of domestic ferret owners and the public
to state for the record that the views expressed were Ms. Lamb's, not those
of the HSUS.  Assertions attributed to Ms. Lamb and/or specifically portrayed
by CBS as representing the position of the HSUS included the following:
 
--"We do not support the legalization of ferrets in California and we have
tried to stop and prohibit the ownership of  ferrets in other states." (Ms.
Lamb)  "When it comes to ferrets, the Humane Society, famous for protecting
animal rights, would rather see the rest of the country follow California's
example [i.e. make domestic ferrets illegal]." (Kaufman)
 
--"They [the Humane Society] believe ferrets that escape into suburban or
rural settings do pose a real danger to small mammmals and birds." (Kaufman)
 
--"We have files full of clips of children being severely bitten, severely
mauled by ferrets." (Ms. Lamb)
 
According to the October 1992 HSUS position statement on domestic ferrets,
the Society "does not believe that ferrets are suitable pets for most people"
and "recommends that children, particularly infants, never be left
unsupervised with a ferret" but acknowledges that they can be kept humanely
as companion animals ("it takes a special individual to adequately meet a
ferret's special needs and provide humane care").  There is no reference to
delegalization of domestic ferrets.  Does the HSUS take donations from
domestic ferret owners and use them to lobby for legislation banning ferret
ownership everywhere?
 
Ms. Lamb's allegation that domestic ferrets can escape into suburban or rural
settings and "pose a real danger to small mammals and birds" is a bald
untruth, as HSUS wildlife specialists can confirm: There are no feral
colonies of domestic ferrets in the United States because domestic ferrets
can't survive in the wild.
 
In Ms. Lamb's view, the domestic ferret is thus both too vicious to be kept
as a companion animal and too dangerous to "small mammals and birds" to be
released into the wild.  Does the HSUS believe there is no place for them in
this world?  What then does HSUS advocate as the "final solution"? Does it
see the domestic ferret as a "throwaway species"?
 
Ms. Lamb's statement that HSUS maintains "files full of clips of children
being severely bitten, severely mauled by ferrets," seems to suggest domestic
ferrets pose a disproportionately greater public health risk than dogs or
cats. According to the Insurance Information Institute, 3.5 million dog bites
are reported every year--half of them needing medical attention. The number
of domestic ferret bites reported to authorities each year is minuscule by
comparison.  Does the HSUS not have "files full of clips of children being
severely bitten" by dogs?
 
Domestic ferret organizations including L.I.F.E. affiliate clubs and shelters
have participated for the last 3 years in the Animal Care Expo, and HSUS has
been happy to take their registration fees.  The October 1992 policy
statement acknowledges that HSUS-affiliated shelters around the country
depend on "cooperation of knowledgeable ferret owners to assist with proper
placement" of unwanted ferrets.  All L.I.F.E. shelters implement spay/neuter
prior to adoption. The overwhelming majority of the ferret community is
trying very responsibly to be part of the solution not the problem in terms
of unwanted animals, and shares the humane ideals on which HSUS was founded.
 Ms. Lamb's statements raise the question whether HSUS itself still espouses
those ideals.  We, the domestic ferret community, want to know whether HSUS
endorses her statements and her views as portrayed by CBS.
 
I look forward to your early and considered response.
 
Sincerely,
Howard Davis
National Humane Affairs Coordinator
League of Independent Ferret Enthusiasts
 
cc: HSUS board members
<end text>
[Posted in FML issue 1217]