The Sept./Oct.  issue of the American Ferret report from the American
Ferret Association arrived and all I can say is that this is their best
one, yet!  At 37 pages, including covers, it's about the same size as the
early issues of Modern Ferret and it is jam-packed with useful content!
Cover art is by Carla Rodriques.  Articles include: CA and NYC legislation
follow-ups, a piece on how HSUS has a marvelous website segment on ferrets
but unfortunately throws them in with wild animals (so I think I'll send a
donation saying that it's for the content but that the donation would have
been twice as large if their placement had been correct), one on Jarmain's
sentencing, another on P&G reducing their animal testing -- and I'm only
through the first 4 pages.  Then AIDS patients and pets, Texas shelter
laws, VERY informative and lengthy pieces in two places on CDV vaccines
(with Linda Harrah and Freddie Ann Hoffman addressing Fervac D and Galaxy
D, and Debbie Kemmerer doing a follow-up on the new Merial vaccine work),
BFF info complete with a picy of Georgia Bailey, AVMA convention news,
financial statement, events listings, show procedures, Charlie Weiss's
protocols for medical treatment of adrenal growths for those rare or very
elderly ferrets who are not surgical candidates, new drugs, ECE coronavirus
identification, the Pamela Slack DVM Memorial Ferret Medical Research Grant
Fund to improve vet care for ferrets, and the closing of Accupath.
SHELTERS: there is a very useful set of articles on how becoming a
501(c)(3) shelter really helps and how to get there.  Ben's story made me
cry and then smile.  There's a large piece on keeping a cage interesting
and Ten Commandments to be remembered by anyone who gets ferrets.
Broadway's story really turned on the waterworks big time -- there was that
ferret with his eye gouged out and he still followed a security guard to
get help, and KISSED the people who provided his medical care!!!!!!!  What
an absolute DOLL!  Faith Hood tells what it's like to start a shelter and
Pam Troutman gives even MORE info and how to get further data in a later
article plus Cindy mentions some of the appalling reasons people give for
surrendering to shelters.  You'll find another inspirational tear jerker
when you read of how Taz helped some severely malnurished boys recover;
yes, ferrets DO help ferrets.  Want to read about how PA shelters became an
association and see what Chris and Tara Palaski, Kymberlie Barone, and Mary
McCarty look like?  You can do that in this issue, too.  There are pages of
shelter listings.  Oh, and there are ads for ferret products, as well as
poetry, info on how shelters can educate, and the heartbreaker about Griz
and Suzy who had been mistreated.
 
FML members will read many of these articles and think, "Hey, I know this
person!", or "I read this person's posts each chance I get!".
 
Want to learn more?  The AFA is a non-profit ferret club which can be
contacted at: P.O. Box 255, Crownsville, MD 21032, 1-888-FERRET1,
[log in to unmask], and the membership is $30 regular for a year except for:
$40 Regular CA, HI and outside the U.S., and $50 vet hospital or $100
corporate.  They also have 2 or 3 year rates.  (Oh, and someone was asking
about brochures; they are among the groups which have those, too.) Steve
and I hold a membership, but we are not active in the AFA's functions given
our lack of time.  If schedules ever allow, though, we really respect this
group so you know what we'll do!!!!!!!!!!
[Posted in FML issue 2800]