Hi everyone, with any luck the balance of the list of sponsors and addresses
will be ready to post on Monday.  Hope you're all writing letters feverishly!
As I was fast forwarding through Paula and friends last night to get to the
commercials (I couldn't sleep, and it was around 3:00 AM) a familiar face,
that of Rachel Lamb/Humane (?) Society, appeared, so I watched the segment.
She was sitting in a studio in Wasington DC with a very husky, healthy man
(a letter carrier), and in between them, on the floor, was a sweet looking
Golden Retriever (Duncan).  The subject was DOG BITES.  In this case,
however, Rachel was announcing a partnership between the HSUS and the Postal
Service, whereby a flyer will go to every mailbox in the country advising dog
owners as to "training your dog, socializing your dog, sterilizing your dog
..."  Rachel stated that there are 2-3 million dog bites in this country
annually, and she added "and those are reported bites; millions more may go
unreported, and children account for up to 60% of the victims ..." As Pam
Grant stated, let's all let the Humane Society know how we feel about this.
One week they are slamming little, helpless ferrets, calling them dangerous
-- the following week they are saying that 2-3 million dog bits are not good,
but they're making it their business to see that owners are responsible, to
avoid that amount of bites in the future.  I was so totally angry I didn't
get a wink of sleep, and I replayed the tape and took every word down in
shorthand, so that I can directly quote Rachel, in all her wisdom.  I could
not believe it.  How come shoe wasn't sitting there with a poor, maimed
child?  No, it was a big, husky, healthy looking man (who, by the way,
admitted he's still scared to death of unleashed dogs).  I plan to transcribe
my notes and will send copies to anyone interested.  I was furious and I
still am.  This woman is not to be believed.
 
It would be really helpful for me to know (and the rest of the FML), ASAP,
the number of reported ferret bites annually, if anyone can help with that.
I want to be as accurate as possible, as I want to make the comparison
between the 2-3 million dog bites and the amount of ferret bites.  Please
listen to Pam and flood the HSUS with mail - faxes - calls, etc.  I read the
figure of 12 ferret attacks in the FAQ, but I'm not sure if that is a total
or annual number.  HELP!  Also, can someone confirm that the affidavit posted
the other day was actually the affidavit of the Animal Control person at that
scene?  Is little Michelle in fact now in the custody of her grandmother?  I
got to my office around 6 a.m. today due to my sleepless night, and my office
is where the AOL is connected.  Luckily I work for nice people.  I need to
have it connected on my Mac at home, though, so I can rant and rave at 3:00
AM if needed, without coming to work!
 
Sorry to take up so much space, but seeing Rachel was really the last straw.
Please write letters all over the place, like crazy.  We need to do that (in
as calm a fashion as possible) if we are to make a difference.  Thanks for
listening.  Now that the work day is about to start, I could really doze off.
 WRITE WRITE WRITE, OK?
 
Judi Lunn and 5 Babies (one of which will NOT return her sneakers!)
[Posted in FML issue 1220]