If you have friends or family living in California that you may someday
want to visit; if there is any possibility that you will get transferred
to California - there are MANY reasons for people everywhere to speak
out about this law.  I hope people everywhere will flood his office with
PERSONAL letters.  If you go on vacation in the west, you won't want to
miss driving up one of the most beautiful roads in the U.S. west: Pacific
Coast Highway - seeing the Pacific Ocean, eating fresh seafood, putting
your toes in the sand of the roaring ocean, watching the sun sink into
the ocean at sunset and saying 'I was THERE', going to Disneyland, Sea
World, Knotts Berry Farm, the San Diego Zoo, Balboa Park, San Francisco,
the Golden Gate Bridge, the Oakland Bay Bridge, so MANY, MANY unique and
beautiful places..........this law WILL affect you!!  This law affects
everyone who travels with their ferrets!  Let's let the "Gov" see the
people behind the unfairness of this law!!!  Let him see that this law is
keeping you from spending your hard-earned vacation dollars in his state
(ouch for the California economy!).  I would encourage folks, even those
who have already voted by telephone, to write either an email or a snail
mail letter to let him know there are real people behind these pleas for
change in California law!  You must include your full name, address and
phone number and NO attachments will be accepted on emails (due to
possible viruses).
 
Here's the letter I sent to [log in to unmask]:
 
Dear Governor:
 
My husband and I used to enjoy visiting your fine state before we
retired, visiting San Diego for weekends and spending time with my
brother, who lives in Lake Arrowhead.  My husband proposed to me in a
beautiful restaurant on the beach in San Diego.  But, even tho we travel
the United States extensively, we haven't been back to California since
1994............
 
I fell in love with a little ferret sitting all alone in a pet shop in
1994 - and when I brought him home with me, I had NO IDEA they were
illegal in California.  It didn't take me long to find out that my new
'baby' was not welcome in your state.  To me, my ferret is my child.  I
now have two 'kids'.  I don't travel without my kids, I'm sure you can
understand that.
 
I would LOVE to go visit my brother.  My husband wants to go back and
walk the docks at San Diego, where he would daydream about having his own
boat and admire the beautiful scenery, breathe the ocean smells, and eat
at our favorite seafood restaurant there (I wonder if it's still there?).
We don't have much good fresh seafood here in Yuma, Arizona.  San Diego
is only 2-1/2 hours away from our front door, yet we don't go there.
Every other place we travel, our ferrets are welcomed, even if all they
do is remain in the air conditioned motel room safe in their cage while
we're out 'playing' and enjoying the many things to do - but not in
California.  And there is so much to do there!
 
PLEASE, please pass SB-89 so we can visit your fine state again.  My
husband and I are getting up in years.  His health is bad and I don't
know how much longer we will be able to travel.  We'd love to be able to
visit the ocean again, walk the docks and eat in our 'special' little
seafood restaurant.
 
If you could just hold my big, laid-back, chubby boy Gilbert (who LOVES
to watch TV for hours lazing on his back and leaning back against my
chest getting belly rubs) you'd understand - I wouldn't need to say
another word.  If you want to know about ferrets, PLEASE ask ferret
owners, not the Department of Fish and Game - because they are neither
fish nor game.  They are our pampered babies.  Please stop banning us
from visiting your state just because we love our babies too much to
travel without them.
 
Thank you for considering this is a VERY important decision that affects
us directly,
 
Jacquie Rodgers (mom to Kylie & Gilbert, two precious spoiled rotten =
ferret kids)
xxxxxx(address)
xxxxxx(phone)
[Posted in FML issue 4569]