For those of you who continue to fight the claim that "ferrets are dangerous
animals that kill babies" I did get a copy of the June 1996 "Pediatrics"
article "Fatal Dog Attacks, 1989-1994"; Sacks, J.J.  MD, et.  al.
 
This six-year survey found a total of 109 deaths due to dog attacks-about
18/year.  Of these, 62 were children under 10 years of age; 6 were children
under one month of age; 11 (nearly 2/year) were infants sleeping in a bed or
crib.
 
This compares to one suspected death of a infant by a ferret since the US
began keeping records, and that case seems somewhat suspicious.
 
What this boils down to is that ferrets are a much safer animal than dogs,
yet the risk of such dog attacks is 'acceptable' by the general public.  (It
also points out that no infant or adult who is unable to protect himself
should ever be left unsupervised with any animal.
 
Dick B
[Posted in FML issue 1695]