For anyone still interested in SB 55, the CA ferret legalization bill, here
is a copy of a letter sent to me from Senator Mello explaining the reasons
he voted "no" when the bill came up again before the Senate Committee on
Natural Resources and Wildlife on January 9th.  After talking with his
aides over the phone, I got the impression that the Senator was active in
the conferences held for this issue and had received truck-loads of
information about ferrets.  Alas, any refutation of the same old fears that
keep ferrets illegal didn't sway Mr.  Mello.  Looks like he only heard what
he wanted to hear.
 
I am not one of Mr.  Mello's constituents, so he doesn't care much about my
point of view.  So if any of you live in the Moneterey, Santa Cruz, Salinas,
or Gilroy areas, give this bozo a call.  I think one big fact he's missing
in terms of public safety is the fact that many illegal ferrets currently
reside in his district.  Current laws make it very difficult for any of his
consituents with "illegal" ferrets to find veterinary care, and therefore
get their ferrets vaccinated.  Mr.  "Smello" needs to become aware of the
public health threat this can pose.  Ferrets in CA will not go away.
Someday these elected representatives are going to have to start listening
to us.
 
(By the way, any typos are mine.)
 
------------
 
Dear Ms. Mooring:
 
Thank you for your inquiry requesting my reasons for opposing Senate Bill
55 (Kopp) when it was heard in the Senate Committee on Natural Resources
and Wildlife on April 25, 1995.  As you are aware, SB 55 failed passage on
a vote of 3 to 7.  The bill was granted reconsideration, however, and,
according to the author's office, SB 55 will be acted on again some time
after January 1996.
 
Ferrets were initially banned in California in 1932 by the Fish and Game
Commission due to concerns that ferrets pose a threat to existing wildlife,
agriculture, and public health and safety.  After listening to testimony in
committee, I was convinced that ferrets would still pose the same threat
today that they did over 60 years ago.
 
Ferrets are predators that are not native to California.  In the wild they
can cause great harm to native endangered species through their natural
tendencies to hunt.  In addition, feral populations of ferrets are a
serious threat to poultry producers.  Although the bill required that all
domestic ferrets be neutered except those used for breeding purposes, the
legislation did not have tools to enforce that requirement.  Listening to
the testimony, it quickly became clear that the possiblity that domestic
ferrets could get loose and multiply in the wild was very real.
Additionally, it was pointed out that local animal control agencies and
humane societies are not staffed, equipped, or funded adequately to open
their doors and services to ferrets.
 
Finally, very moving testimony was given by parents and the Department of
Health Services regarding the serious injury that ferrets can cause to
babies and toddlers.  Although I believe that a ferret may be a reasonable
pet for a responsible adult without children, I found that the risks of
legalizing domestic ferrets in California far outweigh the benefits of the
animal as a pet.
 
I appreciate your taking the time to write regarding my vote on SB 55.  I
hope that this explanation helps you better understand why I chose to
oppose this measure in committee.
 
Sincerely,
 
Henry J. Mello
Senate Majority Leader
 
--------------
[Posted in FML issue 1443]