I am afraid that what I am about to write may be misconstrued, so let me
start off with a disclaimer.  I have a lot of respect for the Ferretguy and
what he does for the city I live in.  I don't want anything to happen to
close a obviously much needed shelter.  With that said, Randy or any one
else, PLEASE don't take offense to what I feel I need to say.
 
I am not sure I understand how the recent legal troubles Especially Ferrets
has encountered affects the shelter staying in operation.  From what I have
read, the following things have happened.  Randy has been cited multiple
times for the same zoning violations, violations that do not have anything
to do with the ferrets.  The covenant of the neighborhood in Aurora that
Randy lives in does not permit home based businesses to have employees.
So I'm assuming he got cited for that.  There is a citation for increased
traffic.  Some sort of citation saying that just because the state allows
Randy to board ferrets the city will not.  And then there is the citation
that has something to do with Ferretland that I haven't been able to
understand what that is.
 
I am not a lawyer.  But I do feel that I am at least a moderately
intelligent person.  I would like to do something - write letters, send
faxes, make phone calls something to fight to keep a ferret shelter open
in my home town.  The only thing is, I don't understand how the city can
legally close the ferret shelter.  I don't understand exactly how the city
came up with some of these violations.
1) Is a volunteer considered an employee if you aren't paying them?
 
2) How can they prove that the traffic is Randy's responsibility and what
   is the law saying that he can't?
 
3) What is the legal standpoint that the city feels they can override a
   state licensing to board ferrets?
 
4) What is the deal with Ferretland, why is it a problem?
 
5) If all of these things were a problem why was the license to shelter
   given anyway?
 
I would like to help but in my opinion the zoning violations as far as the
pop machine and furniture on the porch are just a personal thing - you
should pay the fine and get rid of the problems once and for all and get it
over with.  Or move to a neighborhood that isn't so strict in their zoning
laws.  The other items that involve the operation of the shelter I had
questions on.  I feel that if we are to write and have our letters be seen
as something more than an uneducated emotional responses and something that
should be taken seriously we need to have all the facts.
 
Randy can you help us out on this?
 
Beth, Minerva & Frumpstiggle the marsh wiggle
in Aurora, CO
[Posted in FML issue 3371]