Hi there, folks.  I have not posted here before, but the situation in Utah
seemed so horrific, I knew I had to learn more and get involved.
 
I did indeed call Deanne Hymm, and asked her about the situation the
ferrets were found in, what situation they are currently in, and their
futures.  Some of my questions were quite pointed, but she was open and I
think honest with me about the entire business.  The emergency we have
been told about is, in a nutshell, bogus.
 
The ferrets were removed from a condominium meant for two people, which
contained two people and 260+ ferrets.  Ms. Hymm described the cages as
stacked so thickly that there was only enough floor space for a small
pathway among them.  She admits to the credit of the shelter operator that
the ferts were fed and their cages cleaned, but the smell was overwhelming
and there was no space at all for them to play in.
 
"She meant well," Ms. Hymm said of the shelter operator,"she just got
carried away."
 
The fuzzies are currently being held in a large enclosed garage WITH a/c
and appropriate temperatures being maintained.  The animal control center
is ALREADY working with PETA to ensure a suitable, healthy environment for
the ferts.  They have offered to contact liscensed shelters all over the
US and Canada to care for the fuzzies, but Ms. Hymm says that the shelter
operator, Ms. Morris (?), has refused to allow them to be moved to other
shelters and insists on caring for them herself, in a *warehouse* (!) in
S.E. Utah.  Ms. Hymm says she has allowed the shelter peeps to care for
and medicate the ferrets as needed.
 
Who started the whole crisis?  Apparently one Jessica Haley (sp?)who is
in town to help organize the opening ceremonies for the Olympics took up
temporary residence in the same condo complex and brought charges against
Ms. Morris; well, it was illegal because of zoning and the animal control
couldn't just pass the matter by, could they?  The confiscation is thus
also part of a legal case unrelated to anything A.C. wants or doesn't want.
 
The ferrets will NOT BE EUTHANIZED!  Not on Sept. 14th, not at some later
time, not *at all*.
 
Ferrets can still be adopted but only if Ms. Morris herself releases them
to someone, because she is still the legal owner of the ferrets and because
the ferts are "evidence" in the legal case.
 
I don't know who started this whole pile of bull$%#!, with the euthansia
and all, but it really, really makes me *very* angry.  I even wrote to
Inside Edition before I made this call.  Someone has made a big, public
fool of me and of many other well-intentioned people on the FML.  It's not
a flame, I guess they had their reasons, but for Pete's sake people, do a
little research first!  We have all been put through an emotional wringer
for no good reason.  If someone out there gets *reliable* information to
the contrary, by all means, post it.
[Posted in FML issue 3537]