Hello everyone,
 
I faxed this late last night to Jan's office and apparently he was in (I
know it was after 9:00 P.M!).  When I called this morning to see if I should
send this out, I was told Yes, Yes, Yes, and that their office would help.
You also need to help by sending this along with a letter to your local
paper telling them that its time to stop hurting people over such an
innocent thing as owning a ferret as a pet.
 
Please help get the Yidman's story out!
 
Jeanne
 
For Immediate Release:
 
June 13, 1997
 
Konstantina and Michael Yidman of Sweden landed last night at San Francisco
International airport so Michael can share his engineering expertise with
Photonic Systems, Inc.  of Mountain View, CA.  The Ydiman family also
includes son Anders, age 16, daughter Athanasia, age 18, and Romeo age 3.
 
Romeo is neither son nor daughter, but he's still a member of the family.
He's Athanasia's pet ferret given her for her 15th birthday.  Romeo is the
only pet the Yidman family has since Konstantina's asthma prevents them from
having a dog or cat.
 
Before leaving Sweden, the Yidman family checked and re-checked with the US
embassy in Stockholm and Air France, and were told in both cases that it
would be no problem to bring their ferret to California.
 
Upon arrival at SFO, customs agents seized Romeo and took him from the
family.  Now the Yidmans anxiously fret over his fate, and his loss has left
them stunned and heartbroken- welcome to California, the only state on the
continent to ban ferrets.
 
Though the State Assembly just passed a bill (AB 363- Goldsmith) to legalize
the domesticated ferret by an overwhelming 64-8 vote, it has to pass the
Senate and the Governor before becoming law.  In the meantime people like
the Yidmans continue to suffer the consequences of this unjustified and
meritless prohibition.  How many more people have to get hurt before this
ridiculous law is changed?
 
For more information contact:
 
Jeanne Carley
Californians for Ferret Legalization
415 851-3750
[Posted in FML issue 1966]