I contacted Tom and  got permission to post this.
 
Gee, can you say set up?  I'll bet you can!
 
What do you folks think?
 
BTW, only one ferret came from the shelter, and according to two judges
in Cleveland, Judge Lane is full of it.  My contract is as strong as the
Animal Protective League's or any bank contract.
 
Jean
Ferrets Unlimited
******
For air dates please call 212-741-1011 after January 4, 1999.  Have today's
taping date (11/23) & case sequence (case A of A through D) ready when you
call.
 
Judge Mills Lane heard only the plaintiff's side of the case, asked some
questions of the defendant but seemed personally outraged that the shelter
operator had unilaterally decided that the ferrets were not being
responsibly cared for.  He never really addressed the issue of the animals'
"abandonment" or the vet bills and recommended to the plaintiff that she
attempt to reclaim the ferrets under the principles of replevin &
[something else] because the shelter contract is legally unenforceable.
Rather than ever giving her side, the defendant was forced to defend her
contract and (apparently at the prior recommendation of the show's staff)
interrupted the judge a couple of times which really seemed to annoy him.
In fairness, I also have to say that some of her answers seemed to be
slightly evasive, which also annoyed him.  After the case (the first of 4
that were taped that morning) & after all the ferret supporters had left,
the emcee led a discussion with the studio audience that concluded that
the shelter operator was a scam artist who only had 2 ferrets that she
repeatedly adopted out for cash, then confiscated but kept the cash, and
repeated again & again.  Then during the breaks between the taping, we
watched Jerry Springer tapes without sound but plenty of fights.  An odd
experience on the whole.
 
Hannah, Sylvester, Juliana, Bean, Sophie (ferrets), owners of Tom
(human)
[Posted in FML issue 2514]