It was May 1995 when our son David (then 12) wanted a ferret for his
birthday.  My husband Jim, David and I went to the closest pet store and
bought our Meeko (the sweetest lil ol sable male).  When David began school
that Sept.  I noticed how lonely Meeko was in his absence.  On a trip to
Meeko's vet for his check up we spotted a business card from the Brevard
Ferret Lovers Rescue Inc.  on the bulletin board in the vet's waiting room.
We called the number and DD Glaser scheduled an appointment for Meeko to
come and pick out a friend, that's right, Meeko had the choice.  While Meeko
danced around checking out all the possibilities that circled him, DD and
Cheryl educated us on the proper care of fuzzies.  Meeko still had not made
his choice although Erin a female sable found in a small cage on a pitchers
mound of a local baseball field in the middle of Hurricane Erin just
couldn't get enough of this new guy.  David and I took in all they had to
offer in the way of advice verbal and written BUT, when DD STRONGLY warned
us about Public Health policies concerning ferrets that bite or scratch, I
was mortified.  DD knew she hit nerve and proceeded to tell us Minas story.
A little girl, Mina Baxter had taken a fuzzie she had hand raised from birth
(Rascal) with her to her Pediatricians office.  When the nurse tried to pat
Rascal, Rascal nipped her finger.  The nurse being a nurse called animal
control thinking that they would quarantine Rascal.  When Judy Billings
arrived at a then 11 year old Mina's house she literally had to pry Rascal
from a very hysterical Mina's arms.  The Rescue got involved but, we know
how the story ended.  Rascal was negative rabies of course.  The story made
me physically ill.  I was screaming inside.  Our David was Mina's age.  I
couldn't imagine anything like that happening to him and Meeko.  We put a
deposit down on Erin and DD ended Mina's story with,"Mina still has all of
Rascal's toy's in a box." I vowed that day that there would be no more
Mina's and Rascals.  The members of the Brevard Ferret Lovers Rescue,
especially DD & Kevin Glasser, Cheryl Holtz and Susie Sherman were
phenomenal.  They rallied behind the effort gathering great information,
bolstering an occasional waning confidence level, traveling to great
distances, making phone calls, petition signing sessions well you get the
picture.  Dick Bossart had already set a precedent in NH with an established
quarantine period for fuzzies and he became my legislative guru, Dr. Freddie
Ann Hoffman at the AFA was another valued mentor, Troy Lynn another dinosaur
on the cutting edge of a national ferret awareness campaign all of whom
became Florida Ferrets Earth Bound Angels.  It took 3 long years of pounding
the pavement, going toe to toe with Public Health Officials as well as
countless other extreme measures to get our voices heard prior to the
National Compendium Committee on Animal Rabies Control current
recommendation to get to where we are today.
 
Sukie Crandall  posted this in issue #2277 of the FML
>If you haven't contacted YOUR local departments PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE do
>so NOW.  The ferret you save may be your own!!!!!!!
Urging us to contact our health officials.
>FLORIDA 850-488-2905 Richard S. Hopkins -- legislation being pursued to be
>extra safe,
 
I hadn't talked with Dr. Hopkins in quite awhile.  I normally spoke with his
associates at the Epidemiology branch of Public Health in Tallahassee Dr.
Landis Crockett, Dr. Bill Bigler and on occasion before he retired, our very
own Chief Deputy Secretary of Health Dr. Blechman.  I called Dr. Hopkins out
of curiosity.  I wanted to get his opinion on our then pending bill.  Dr.
Hopkins was quite clear on his stand given his reply to my," What is your
opinion on HB3115"?  "I don't see why, given the recommendation you insist
on making it a law"?  He asked.  His reply sent chills up my spine.  I bit
my tongue and answered with,"Because now you can be held accountable for
your actions with a law that will protect OUR BEST INTERESTS."
 
I cannot stress enough just how important it is for each state to follow
suite.  A RECOMMENDATION is JUST THAT it's not a MANDATED LAW.  A
recommendation allows 1 person to interpret it in any way they see fit,
whereas a law establishes clear cut guide lines that have to be followed.
It took 116 House Representatives and 38 Senators to pass HB3115 and if it
were to be challenged it would have to be done so, legislatively and that
takes a year or more to do.
 
Sukie is correct when she urges you to stay in touch with your state public
health officials ( keep your friends close BUT, your enemies closer ) it's a
GREAT first step BUT, don't drop the ball there.  If you want to insure that
your fuzzies will live long, care free lives for years to come then get off
your duffs and do something about it.  There is (as I explained above) a
wonderful network of mentors out there.
 
Actions speak louder than words.  If there is someone in your state seeking
legislative changes then by God, get behind that person and support them any
way you can.
 
If you have any questions or comments by all means e-me.
 
Marie E Wallace
[Posted in FML issue 2298]