To everyone:
 
The death of the three ferret martyrs should be the beginning of a renewed
effort to change the existing laws and educate the public.  Here are three
clear victims for the media to see.  It is important to note something here
and now:
 
To date this has been a local issue in the media.  The references to NBC
indicate the local affiliates and not NBC National news!  We must make it a
national interest story.  CBS is still planning on doing their piece on the
legalization effort in California.  The NJ ferret slaughter is the perfect
sidebar.  However, I know for a fact, that unless a concerted effort is made
in the same volume we contacted Gov.  Whitman, they will not take an
interest.  I spent nearly the entire day on the phone contacting all three
networks and CNN.  The response was the same -- despite my repeated calls,
"This sounds like a local story -- the affiliates will handle it."
 
Fax CBS news with the following information:
 
- The facts of the alleged biting.
- The unusual manner of the Appellate Court overturning the Health
  Department and Lower Court.
- The very strange warrant giving Mr. Kozak, the plaintiff, custody of the
  three ferrets.
- The fact that ALL three ferrets were immunized.
- The fact that THOUSANDS of people from around the nation contacted the
  Governor's office and other state agencies.
- The fact that the majority of those people were contacted through either
  AOL or the Internet.
 
In addition to CBS and the other networks -- flood the tabloid news programs
like Inside Edition, American Journal, and Hard Copy with the above facts.
A year or so ago, the tabloid news programs covered the story of an Akita
dog in NJ who was scheduled to die for biting a little girl.  They managed
to create such a furor that the networks jumped on the story and managed to
save the dog's life.  If nothing else, write letters to Regis and Kathy
Lee -- maybe we can get her to cry about the fuzzies.  Lately, everytime
she sheds a tear it makes national news.
 
Everyone involved in the effort to save these fuzzies did a great job.  We
now have the opportunity to make their deaths mean something significant.
 
Scott
[Posted in FML issue 1599]