I just want to point out that, while the new Maryland law is certainly a
step in the right direction, Maryland ferret owners should not assume that
their ferrets are safe from the health department.  Some amendments were
made to the bill which allow the health department to retain more power than
we hoped for.  This bill represents progress but should not give ferret
owners in Maryland a false sense of security.
 
On a similar note, I was outraged to read that a Maryland veterinary clinic
reported a vaccinated ferret for nipping its employees.  If anyone in
Maryland is looking for a veterinarian who can be trusted not to do this, I
recommend Dr. Stacey DiMaria of the West Frederick Veterinary Hospital
(301-473-4478).  A year ago, Dr. Di Maria was bitten by Bridgett, a ferret
we had recently rescued.  Even though Bridgett had only been ours for 2 or 3
weeks and nothing was known about her history, Dr. DiMaria just put a
bandage on her finger (she was bleeding) and joked about having something to
match her iguana bite.  We drive an hour to take our ferrets to her; it's
worth the inconvenience to know our ferrets are safe there.  After all, no
one can be sure a ferret won't bite after being stuck with a needle!
---Clare Sebok
[Posted in FML issue 1580]