To Ferret Lovers Everywhere,
 
As most of you know, California has had the longest-running battle to
legalize ferrets in this country.  Early efforts to legalize ferrets
centered around the Fish and Game Department and the Fish and Game
Commission.  Efforts with the Commission continue today, but everyone knows
by now, that the Department has no interest in doing the right thing for the
citizens of this state where ferrets are concerned.
 
In 1994, 1995, and 1996, bills were killed either on the house floor, or in
committee, that would have legalized ferrets or offered some reasonable
regulations on their keeping.  And all the while, the California ferret
population continued to grow.
 
Since 1989, estimates from Fish and Game and the California Department of
Agriculture put the estimate of ferrets in California at over 500,000.  By
now, almost eight years later, that number has to be higher.  Modern Ferret
Magazine sends more subscriptions to California than all but two states.
California is currently host to no less than five ferret organizations, two
working specifically on legalization, Ferrets Anonymous and Californinans
for Ferret Legalization.
 
I actively encourage everyone interested in legalization to join Ferrets
Anonymous, to get involved on a local level, keep up to date with the FA
newsletter, and work on increasing awareness among folks that own, or want
to own, a ferret.  But there is another critical level at which this issue
will be played out as well, and that is the State level.  Californians for
Ferret Legalization wants everyone in California that cares about ferret
legalization to be represented, and represented well.  We are fortunate to
have help from a fantastic lobbyist, Bob Naylor.  Bob effectively secured us
the vote of one of the oncly two Republican Senators on the Natural
Resources Committee, against the powerful lobbying efforts of his area,
those of the Farm Bureau.  Bob writes off most of his time, but we have to
pay something, and the more funds we have, the more we can ask of him.
Please help us pay for his time in what will be a crossroads for
legalization in California.
 
Some of you have recently seen ferrets legalized in your states.  Some of
you have called on California and benefited from it's wealth of ferret
information.  And I know all of you have been pulling for us, but we will
need more than that this year if we are to win.  Because, sadly, unlike
other states we have tremendous opposition here in California from our
Department of Fish and Game, and the others they've managed to convince that
ferrets represent a scourge on mankind.
 
Legalization shouldn't take this long, it shouldn't be this difficult, or
expensive.  But the difficulty is due to this agency's active propagation of
misinformation about the ferret, and the political strength of their
friends.  We've made great strides in overcoming these falsehoods both in
the Capitol and with the media.  Earlier this year, an Assembly Resolution
passed on a 60-7 vote that called for the Commission to legalize ferrets.
Recent articles in major state papers have been much more sympathetic to our
side of this issue.
 
I know this is a bad time to ask for money, and I know that many of you run
shelters and are always in need of funds.  But if there is ever a time to
look to California and say, I want to help, it is now.  We will lose both of
our authoring legislators at the end of this two year session.  Please send
what you can to Californians for Ferret Legalization.  Consider making
California one of the projects for your club's membership.  Californians
deserve to finally reap the rewards of years of hard work, please help us in
the fight of our lives.
 
Thank you for your support.
 
Jeanne Carley
Californians for Ferret Legalization
410 Mountain Home Road
Woodside, CA  94062
[Posted in FML issue 1797]