MICHIGAN WASTING TAXPAYER-MONEY IN ATTEMPT TO KILL LOCAL FAMILY'S PET
FERRET, KODO
 
Governor, Attorney General, Courts: Embarrassing the State on A National
Level
 
Saginaw, MICHIGAN - "Kodo the Kute" -- one local family's pet ferret who
yesterday dodged death for a third time with another successful stay of
execution until today at 3pm -- has now become a symbol of a wasteful
taxpayer-funded prosecution.  Moreover, sources report, the prosecutors have
even hired, again at taxpayer expenses, a private law firm to assist in the
county and state's prosecution.  Meanwhile, media outlets acros the nation,
including CNN, have reported the story which is surely an embarrasment to
the state of Michignan.  "It's a shame to think that our government is
spending so much of our money and wasting their own resources for the sake
of taking our pet away from us," remarked Kodo's owner, Robert Jacobs.
"What must people around the country think of us?"
 
Despite thousands of dollars raised from contributors around the world to
defray Kodo's legal costs, and despite thousands of phone calls, e-mails,
faxes and letters of protest to Michigan governor John Engler, state and
county prosecutors and Michigan media outlets, and despite the retention of
a political consultant and national publicist, the Jacobs' family is still
unable to understand why their message isn't getting through to government
officials who seemingly fail to use common sense and ignore stated fact.
 
Worse still, Engler has refused to take a proactive role in helping this
family's plight, rather he simply dismisses the issue by stating that a
pardon of the ferret is beyond his scope.  To date, Engler has refused to
work with his own state agencies to seek changes in regulations relative to
Kodo and hasn't sought to fast-track a law which could help Kodo. In general,
Engler has simply side-stepped the issue refusing to intervene on behalf of
the Jacob's family.
 
Political consultant Bud Jackson, who is helping the Jacob's family on a pro
bono basis, stated: "Rather than using common sense to solve this potential
tragedy, the government and potentially the courts are about to embarrass
the entire state by killing one family's pet.  The message the attorney
general, Engler, and the courts could soon be saying is, `We reserve the
right to take your pet, your family member -- dog, cat, ferret, whatever --
at any time and have it killed.  Michigan should be ashamed of its attorney
general and its government for allowing such a ridiculous, unfair and
unimaginable course of action to take place.  It's government over-stepping
its boundaries with an unauthorized and illegitimate power-play.  Just
imagine what the Jacobs' family children must be thinking right now?"
 
Robert Jacobs and two children, Crystal (8) and Eric (9) continue their
vigil, awaiting the fate of their favorite furry little pet ferret Kodo who
has spent over 40 days on "death row." The Jacobs' patriarch who was forced
to leave work and fight for his children's pet in court, is at a loss of
words to explain the potential tragedy to his children.  Moreover, following
the potential end of this family's crisis arrives a new one on the horizon:
local publicity from the pet struggle sparked Jacobs' landlord to deliver
him a "notice to quit" his family's mobile trailer park home for harboring
an "exotic" pet, even though the ferret isn't exotic (it's domestic).
 
Last month Jacobs brought the family's pet ferret to a mall pet exhibition--
on the first day of National Pet Week -- at the request of local animal
control officer Karen Burns.  A senior gentlemen reached to pat the ferret
when he accidentally scraped his finger on the pet's nose and tooth.  The
scrape broke skin causing minor bleeding.
 
"The gentleman later humorously remarked to his wife, upon seeing a blown-up
photo of a vicious dog bite, that his `bite' wasn't nearly as bad," Jacobs
said, referring to the gentleman's court testimony.  "But within twenty
minutes, Burns, having overheard the man's remark to his wife, arrived at my
area with a `bite report' which correctly stated `Minor, No stitches,
Scratch Did Bleed.' Then she took Kodo away from me!"
 
If the ferret had rabies, it would have died within ten days.  But now Kodo
is still alive waiting on "death row" in an animal control shelter.  "Now,
our pet is gone, facing execution, and we aren't even allowed to visit.  My
children are mortified."
 
People around the world have rallied to Kodo's cause and the nation's media
have paid close attention to the developing story.  But as time winds down
to the scheduled execution, Jacobs and his family are hoping for a last
minute reprieve to save their loving pet and defend the happiness which has
been stolen from them by an apparently silly and baseless government action.
 
NOTE: Interview requests for Mr. Jackson should be made in advance as
possible.  Television stations should make arrangements with Boston
affiliates for interviews.  Mr. Jackson's availability will be on a
first-come/first-serve basis.
                                  - 30 -
[Posted in FML issue 1963]