I posted my electronic comments yesterday on the APHIS/USDA website,
which in case you're forgotten (and apparently many of you have) is:
http://docket.epa.gov/edkfed/do/EDKStaffCollectionDetailViewByID
?collectionId=APHIS-2005-0063
I was comment #13. There have only been 13 comments made so far? Huh?
With all the controversy on Petco and Petsmart, with all our talk about
line breeding, with all the problems that ferret shelters have with
people dumping sick ferrets - only 13 comments? That doesn't even make
sense. I thought there would be page after page of comments, but there
wasn't. Again, my comment showed up today, just about 24 hours after I
posted it. In case I hadn't mentioned it, it was lonely comment #13.
You don't have to be an expert to make a comment on the eDocket. Let me
emphasize that:
YOU DON'T NEED TO BE AN EXPERT TO MAKE A COMMENT!
OK, I'll calm down now...
They're not checking your post for grammar and spelling. All you have
to do is describe problems that you've found pertaining to ferrets.
You can complain that too many of your ferrets are being afflicted with
adrenal disease, possibly because of ferret farms breeding practices
(line breeding, sold too young, ect.). Who hasn't owned ferrets and
experienced adrenal disease? We just had post after post about line
breeding! The USDA is looking at all aspects of ferret breeding and
handling.
You can describe conditions you find in pet stores. I know that damn
near everyone on this list has been to a pet store and found ferrets in
substandard conditions. The USDA wants to know about that. Believe me,
if you think the USDA does routine inspections of pet stores... well,
they don't. It has to come from you.
Have you ever purchased a kit with a prolapsed rectum, simply because the
kit was shipped too young to eat kibble? My baby, Chase, had a prolapsed
rectum for just this reason. She was with another cinnamon colored
ferret. I went back to check on this other ferret just a couple weeks
later, hoping to possibly purchase it. I found out that it had died.
Imagine how I felt, and how angry I was that it happened. And then
imagine how I felt when I realized that this was happening all the time,
all over the country.
Even if your post is not exactly what they're looking for, it is a voice
and a number, and it shows that ferret owners are sick of ferrets being
treated like lab mice. We have to show APHIS (which is part of the USDA,
in case some of you were confused. I was.) that ferrets need different
treatment and standards than rodents and other pets do. Dogs and cats
have all kinds of rules and regulations regarding their care and
breeding, simply because there are tons of dogs and cats and people have
spoken up about them. This is our opportunity to do the same thing for
our ferrets. It needs to be done. The numbers of ferrets are
increasing. Look at the numbers of ferrets hitting shelters. If you're
not sure it needs to be done, just reread the horror stories on a month's
worth of the FML. Pick any month. Believe me, it needs to be done.
If you want more ideas, both Sukie and Linda Iroff have given them on the
August 11th FML. But it's not hard. I've seen you people do it hundreds
of times. Instead of preaching to the choir, which is what we usually
do, we have an excellent opportunity to tell our stories to people who
can actually help do something about the well-being of ferrets.This
opportunity isn't going to last forever. The USDA/APHIS will only be
taking comments for a couple of weeks. Again, your comments don't have
to be a book. Talk about what you know. This is what we do best on the
FML. I've seen it time and time again.
Go to the site. There is a java button midway down the page, which says
SUBMIT COMMENT. You can do it anonymously if you want. If you want to
send snail mail, the address (which is also on the page, under
DESCRIPTION - look for 'primary contact') is:
Dr. Jerry DePoyster, Senior Veterinary Medical Officer, Animal Care,
APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 84, Riverdale, MD 20737-1234, (301) 734-7586
For Pete's sake, it even has the vet's phone number! Call the guy, if
for some reason you can't write or type! Come on, people! I know that
we can do this. If we don't do this, then all our postings about ferret
breeding and handling problems were all just a bunch of noise. I know
that's not how you people feel about this.
I do not want to be lonely comment #13.
http://docket.epa.gov/edkfed/do/EDKStaffCollectionDetailViewByID
?collectionId=APHIS-2005-0063
Roary
Albuquerque, NM
blog - http://ferretphilosophy.blogspot.com/
[Posted in FML issue 4971]
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