Sounds like Millicent Eidson in N.Y. pretty much has to wait for the formal
review to be completed to do much more.  Every state is different, and some
DO have LONG and INVOLVED procedures REQUIRED BY STATE LAW before the
Compendium or a new quarantine animal can be officially recognized.  This
note sounds like what was finally decided as being needed for New York's
procedure is not as easy as she first told me, but not a bad as she was
afraid it would be when she spoke with SD.  N.Y.  folks will decide from all
the info if just education, or also legislation would work best there.  Glad
she's being honest about it so we all can get a reasonable handle on what is
going on in N.Y., which remains in the "vague" group of "replies received"
till their review is done; be polite if you communicate with her -- YOU need
her more than she needs you!  So many states just had NOTHING in place for
handling as amazing a change as a new pet being included in the quarantine
portion of their rabies policies, and as a result they are a bit befuddled.
Have heard from several sources that skunk owners and wolf-cross owners are
now discussing with researchers about going through the entire routine of
getting a USDA approved vaccine and having shedding studies done for their
pets since they see that ferret people managed this "impossible" task.
That's what everyone said it was a decade ago: impossible.  We all did it
anyway, so now more states have some form of quarantine than don't.
 
>DATE: Tue, 3 Feb 1998 10:10:00 -0500
>FROM:Eidson, Millie
>TO:Crandall, Sukei
>SUBJECT:reply:  N.Y. quarantine law changes
>
>There have not been a lot of changes since my previous response.  The
>change has been included in a proposal for regulation changes which is
>undergoing Dept.  of Health review.  I don't know what the potential time
>table is for that being finalized.  We will be having a statewide rabies
>symposium for local health units in March, at which I will bring up the new
>information about ferrets and my recommendation that local health units
>consult with me when handling a bite situation, and when I get those calls,
>I will discuss the situation and likely recommend quarantine rather than
>euthanasia and testing when the ferret is healthy.
[Posted in FML issue 2207]