>Can someone please, in God's name, tell my why we even BOTHER to vaccinate
>our animals?????
 
Because we care enough to protect our pets from the very unlikely event of
an exposure to rabies, because we are law-abiding citizens and many places
require the vaccination, and because it is the only bargaining chip, however
slight, that we have to save our pet's life in a bite situation.  The
vaccination may not be very important to the public health and animal
control authorities but it is the best we can do at this time.  I've often
used the analogy that, if I were being led out to a firing squad I would
kick my guard and run like hell.  I may only have a 1-20,000 chance but
those are still much better odds than I would have if I stood in front of
the wall for the nice gentleman.
 
>We are forced to vaccinate our animals against rabies, but there is no safty
>for them if they are accused of biting someone.  When will it all end.??????
 
It will end when we sucessfully force them to start doing a reasonable risk
assesment in suspected bites and stop treating ferrets differently than
other domestic companion animals.  We need to make them realize and admit
that ferrets are NOT wild, undomesticated, or exotic, that ferrets can be
vaccinated against rabies and that the vaccine is as effective as it is for
dogs and cats (if not more), and that there have been rabies shedding
studies done and published and that the data is equal to or exceeds that for
dogas and cats.  While we are at it maybe we should end world hunger, cure
cancer, and abolish war.
 
>Some one please answer me this>>> Has someone , anyone even MENTIONED to the
>old man to take the shots, I mean, hell, they are only about $200, if
>everyone on this list just gave a dollar to that man, he would be able to
>pay for the shots, and then maybe poor little Kodo could be saved.  Does
>anyone know if that corse of action has been attempted.
 
It has been mentioned to the "bite victim" and he has said that it is not
necessary and he feels there is no need.  I agree.  He has already written a
release which removes any liability from the animal control and public
health in the event that the ferret actually turns out to be rabid (yeah,
like THAT'S going to happen).
 
As for the cost of the post-exposure series, the last I heard, it runs
between $1200 and $1500 dollars.  Legally this cost is the responsibility of
the pet owner.  Of course a good case could be made for making public health
pay for it because they are the ones forcing the unnecessary medical
treatment on the bite victim.
 
>P.S.  Does anyone share my opinion that the government should have to pay
>wrongful death settlements to anyone whose animal was distroyed for testing,
>only to be negative???  As well as pay for anguish and suffering on the part
>of the owner?  Just a thought.
 
Yes, the Constitution of the United States.  It is called eminant domain,
which states that any time a governmental agency takes private property for
public use the owner of the property must be compensate the far market value
of the property.  Some state constitutions go even further and state that
the payment must be made before the property is taken.  With all due respect
to those who cite the fact that recently a bid for compensation failed in
Maryland, two things should be noted, first it HAS worked in many cases and
failed only in this one, second the attempts to collect are not over with in
the case mentioned.  As for anguish and suffering on the part of the owner,
in order to seek that you would have to prove that the actions of the public
health and/or animal control authorities exceeded reasonable excersise of
their duties.  It can be done but it is extremely difficult and the courts
will tend to give them a great deal of lattitude.
 
Final thought: Remember that the most politically powerful lobbying agencies
are, in order, the military, public health, and the police.  We are willing
to surrender so much to these people because it is believed that they need
and are using whatever we can give them in order to protect us.  It is
difficult to convince people that these shing guardians of our safety are
not doing their jobs and are, in fact, endangering us.
[Posted in FML issue 1941]