January 24th, 1997
 
For Immediate Release
 
FERRETS ANONYMOUS TRIAL RESULTS IN CONSTITUTIONAL QUESTION
 
Ferret Owners Get Chance To Challenge Anti-Ferret Law
 
Pat Wright, the founder of Ferrets Anonymous reached an unexpected agreement
with the San Diego City Attorney's office in regards to the complaints filed
against him.
 
Wright was charged with four misdemeanor complaints from a lost ferret
episode.  Wright would not help San Diego Animal Control locate the ferret,
after she allegedly bit a neighborhood child, unless he was assured the
ferret would not be destroyed for rabies testing.
 
For that, the misdemeanor offenses kept piling on, resulting in a
"possession of a wild animal with out a permit" added the day before the
trial.
 
In a mix of panic and joy, and with no time to plan, Wright and Ferrets
Anonymous dealt with the newest charge as an opportunity to challenge
California's ferret ban.
 
In exchange for the ferret charge not being dropped, Wright had to plead
guilty to a minor "concealing information" charge.  The penalty is a $100
fine and 160 hours of community service (working at a ferret shelter was
rejected as "community service" by the city attorney's office).  Three other
misdeammor charges were dropped.
 
We will be back in court on April 30th to prove that the domestic ferret is
a domestic animal - and thus out of the jurisdiction of the California
Department of Fish and Game.
 
It is interesting to note that the city attorney's office turned to the
internet, and not the Department of Fish and Game to obtain their
information on ferrets.  Had they gone to DFG they would have received
information on ferrets being "blood thirsty" and "baby killers." Instead
they picked up information from all over the world on the true nature of
ferrets - and that information supports the fact that ferrets are regarded
everywhere else as domestic pets and not wild animals.
 
We are grateful for the City Attorney's office allowing us to challenge the
constitutionality of the ferret ban.  And the "design Pat Wright's prison
tattoo" contest has been called off.
 
For more information, please all (619) 584-8427.
[Posted in FML issue 1825]