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Thu, 15 Oct 2009 21:14:34 -0700
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After reading the news story link posted in these posts, I'm outraged!
Not only with just the stories, but with some of the comments as well!

In the story about the man using a ferret as a service animal, quite
a few people left comments about how ferrets are stinky, disgusting
creatures and that they wouldn't want to shop near someone carrying
around one. But yet it's okay for a dog or cat to be in the store?
It was stated that the ferret was kept enclosed in a red mesh bag or
yellow stroller - so it's doubtful that anyone would even KNOW there
was a ferret in the store. As a consumer and a mother, I'd be a little
more nervous of a large service dog in the store rather than a small
ferret kept in a bag or stroller. I know that service dogs are usually
very well trained, but a parent needs to be careful with young children
and ANY animal - which brings me to my next point.

Obviously there was child and animal neglect going on in Michelle's
house when she, as a small baby, had most of her face "eaten off" by a
ferret! It would have taken a ferret a while to do that much damage to
a baby's face. Where was the father? Why didn't he hear her screaming?
There have been times when I've fallen asleep on the couch when my
babies are out and about (my daughter is always in her room - door
closed - napping at this time) and a few times my Benny has woken me up
with a nip on the ankle. So I'm positive that Michelle as a baby would
have woken up as well and screamed and cried as this happened to her.
The poor ferret had to have been neglected for awhile to have gone this
far. When was the last time it was fed? And the baby and ferret both
should have been supervised - even if the baby was asleep, and even
if the baby was supposedly kept out of reach from the ferret (because
we all know how crafty and determined ferrets can be when they want
something!). The authorities should have looked into the matter a
little more - the father, in my opinion, is at fault in this situation.

I am sending in my own letter, in conjunction with my vet's office -
there are 4 vets there that all love ferrets and are sending letters
with mine and possibly other pet owners. I'm also considering having
my law student friend get copies of the law mentioned in the service
animal article about:

>Alejandro Miyar, a spokesman for the U.S. Department of Justice's
>Office of Public Affairs in Washington, said that the federal
>Americans with Disabilities Act allows a dog "or other animal
>individually trained to provide assistance to an individual with
>a disability." Private businesses are required under ADA to make
>accommodation to people with a disability to use a service animal,
>he said. And such animals are not required to have any kind of state
>approval or stamp to be considered service animals, Miyar said."

And sending copies of that law to the mall that kicked the poor man,
his wife, and his ferret out. Think how bad the mall's publicity would
be if the man ended up having a seizure in the mall and he told the
press that it could have been better helped if he'd been allowed to
have his service animal with him!

Sorry for rambling. Stories like this just tick me off. The poor
animals get blamed for things when usually it's the pet owner's fault.
And people can be so ignorant! I wish there were a better way to
educate people about exotic animals. Anyone have any ideas about what
we can each do in our own hometowns? I tell people about my babies all
the time and dispel myths that these people believe about ferrets but
I just wish there were more I could do.

Melissa

[Posted in FML 6487]


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