I spoke with Lisaferret after the Va Beach beheading incident a few weeks
ago and, as a recent law school grad.  with some skills and connections,
offered to help work on the Va rabies policy problem.
 
After much research, it turns out that ferrets are not "Wild" in VA, they
are "exotics".  This difference is significant for a number of policy
reasons, and may prove useful in getting the regulations re-written and
ferrets re-classified.  Interestingly, while ferrets are not included in the
domestic animal list (although fox, mink, and weasel are!--must be a fur
industry thing), they are given a "quasi" domestic status by being the only
animal exempt from ALL of the "keeping exotic animals" regulations--they are
essentially "domestic" in all but name.
 
I have a friend in the Attorney General's office who is going to try and get
me the background information that was used in making the classification
decision--once I see it I may have a way of attacking the classification
based on misinformation etc.  In any case, he is going to tell me EXACTLY
which person in the agency is responsible for writing this section of the
Administrative code, so that we may most effectively direct our letters...
 
All this is essentially a future thing, however, as there seems to be no
state-wide LAW on the books in Va allowing for the quarantine of ANY
suspected rabies carrying animal--nor do the administrative agencies
overseeing the testing have any statewide policy re quarantine in the
Administrative Code.  (Which is not to say they don't have a secret agenda
or internal policy--they just don't have a written one...) Whether or not
ANY animal is quarantined (I must learn to spell that word) would seem to be
a purely local decision, like a leash law or getting rabies liscenses.
 
What does this mean?  Check your local ordinances!  Call your local health
dept. etc and find out who is responsible for testing decisions in your
area!  EDUCATE your local animal control officier and try to get the local
law ferret friendly!  Be PROACTIVE!
 
I'll keep working on this, and as soon as I have some more information I
might start asking for letters etc.  If all else fails, when I become an
actual attorney in October (That's when the bar exam results are posted) We
can sue to have the ordinances overturned!
 
Jen
PS--on an unrelated note, Schnitzel, T.G.  and Detinue are enjoying their
new air conditioner alot, and seem to be feeling mucho better now that
those nasty old allergy causing molds are being kept out of the place!
(Now if they'd only stop trying to wrestle with my body in the middle of
the night...)
 
J.
[Posted in FML issue 1602]