The following is whats going on in MA.  Any MA resident who would like more
information, please E-mail me directly and I'll be glad to send it to you.
Anyone not from MA who would like to help us, please contact anyone you know
who lives here, family, friends, co-workers, whomever, (not necessarily
ferret owners).  We are looking for people who would be willing to write a
letter to Senator Birmingham.
 
Spoke to Pat Riley at the MSPCA today.  (Pet Sitting business is slow right
now had the morning off).  She said her/Martha Armstrong visited SW&M last
week and were told the same stuff we were.  "Studing" a bill means it will
surely die in this committee unless we push it.  Pat has been trying to find
out why we are stuck here.  She said sometimes it gets "political" and we
may be here because "someone traded" this bill for another.  Welcome to the
world of politics.  Frustrating isn't it.  I told her what we are doing, and
will try to "ferret out" any information we can get thru our people.  I also
asked her if the MSPCA would be willing to write a letter for the file.  She
will ask the powers that be and get back to us.
 
Tried to contact Jack Buckley over at Fsh & Wildlife but he's out today,
will try again tomorrow.  Mr.  Buckley is the head of legislative issues at
F&G.  Will see if they can write a letter also.  Will let everyone know what
he says.
 
Spoke to B. Jones today, he is just as frustrated as us.  He said he was  at
a softball game in Everett this past weekend and a woman was there with her
ferret.  She told him that she was told by the NH pet store she bought it at
that they were legal here.  Then she got an earful from B.  Jones.  He has
not heard anything coming out of SW&M at all.  I told him what was up with
us.  Asked B. Jones regarding the refiling of the bill.  With this holdover
rule, he's not too sure of what the rules are.  He is going to get back to
us on that.  Evidently, if there is a bill pending, we can't file a new one
with these new rules.
 
Susan Paulson was unavailable today to speak with.  B. Jones said we should
send in the petition we have to Sen.  Birmingham.  I will do that this week.
(copy bills).  The best course of action we should be taking now is:
 
Write to Senator Thomas Birmingham, Chariman, Senate Ways and Means
Committee, Boston, MA 02133.  ALL OF US, get friends/family members/
co-workers/anyone who will be willing to do this to do so.  Evidently the
"thicker" the file, the better chance of it being reviewed.  If you are
reluctant to give out your address on a letter, use a friends, family member
(with permission)
 
PETITIONS:  If you need one, e-mail me.  If you are ready to pass yours in,
keep the original, make a copy and send the copy into Sen. Birmingham.  If a
constituent of his has signed your copy, highlight their name for him.  If
this is too much of a hassle for you, e-mail me directly and I'll give you a
mailing address you can send the petition to.  I'll be glad to do it for you.
 
Please, the fuzzies need our help now more than ever!  If we don't get SW&M
to act on this, we will die there.  We've all worked very hard to get our
bill to this point, we don't want to lose now.
 
For the fuzzies
 
Sharon Burbine,
Mass Friends of the Domestic Ferret Group
[Posted in FML issue 1327]