"May your head be perceived as a corner,"
"And may 20 ferrets walk backwards into your life."
 
                      - Ancient Egyptian curse
 
This is Doug Gerald again - to those of you who contacted us privately and
through FML in response to our request for info ...  thank you!  We still
need some documentation regarding the rabies vaccine.  In my review of the
FML, I have deduced that it was developed in Kansas, and with the aid of
animals provided by Marashall Farms.
 
If you missed our earlier posting, we are attempting to get a School
District ban on ferrets lifted.  The ruling has been in place for at least
18 years.  Prior to 1984 there was a general ban on pet ferrets in Alaska
because they were considered wild animals and regulated by the Department of
Fish & Game.  In 1983 a law suit was brought against the State by a ferret
owner, and the wild animal ruling was overturned.
 
We are approaching this problem on three fronts:
 
First - that the School District never changed its ruling when the State
ban was overturned.
 
Second - that there was a possible law suit involving a "ferret bite" or
other incident on school property which might have caused some legal action,
thus prompting the ban.  And...
 
Third - That the lack of a rabies vaccine might have been the reason for the
ban.
 
Having done the research, I could not find a single legal action involving
harm to an individual or damage to property in Alaska as far back as 1965.
The case number and names concerning the State ban were provided by one of
you.  The ferret owner who brought the suit supplied well over 400
scientific references to prove his claim that ferrets, are domesticated, and
not wild animals.
 
All that remains to be done is to supply details concerning the vaccine.
So ... I ask one more time ... is there anyone out there that can provide
a lead as where to go for the remaining piece to the puzzle.  The E:MAIL
address of Marshall Farms would help, or perhaps a response from one of the
vets online.
 
Thanks again.
 
Doug, Sue, & Penny Gerald - w/Lori, Tory, & Shadow
[Posted in FML issue 1480]