I had an e-mail yesterday suggesting that someone post a "template" for a
letter to the Utah judge who downsized the charges against Jen Morrison
until they were almost too tiny to see.
 
Before I get to the letter, here is the contact info for both the judge
who did not think that the suffering of over 260 ferrets warranted
serious charges against this abusive and clearly disturbed individual:
 
Judge Michael G Allphin
Voice: 1-801-447-3850
Fax: 1-801-447-3880
 
I don't have an address, hopefully someone else can find one and post it.
Faxes, though, would be good...because someone has to actually handle
them and see them.  An avalanche of faxes will most assuredly send a
message of acute displeasure!!
 
 
Dear Judge Allphin,
 
As a member of the nationwide community of animal lovers, I found your
ruling in the case of Jen Morrison, the woman who held 261 ferrets trapped
and starving in a 2-bedroom condo, to be a very poor decision, and a slap
in the face to all those who worked tirelessly to rescue and save the
animals this woman so callously abused, starved, and neglected.
 
A $500 fine is a paltry sum compared to the vet bills generated by the
animals rescued from her clutches.  To date, the total approaches $10,000.
These bills have been covered by ferret shelters paying out-of-pocket, and
also through the donations and fundraising among ferret lovers nationwide.
By reducing her well-deserved fine to a mere $500, you degrade the hard
work that has been done to raise the money to cover the medical costs that
are the direct consequence of this individual's recklessness and abuse.
 
It may interest you to know that Morrison has already spent some of her
free time writing rude and taunting letters and e-mails to many of those
who rescued the animals she starved and neglected.  Some of the rescuers
who received her rude communications are still struggling to pay off
enormous debts incurred by her actions.
 
It is a bitter pill for the ferret community to swallow to see this woman
walk away with a slap on the wrist, then have to endure her taunts as she
thumbs her nose at the rescuers who are still nursing some of those
ferrets back to health.
 
Perhaps in your eyes, the life of a ferret is only worth $1.92, which is
what her fine amounts to.  To a nationwide community of ferret lovers who
stepped up to the plate and not only took care of the rescued ferrets but
also footed the thousands of dollars in vet costs, the lives of these
creatures are priceless.  And displeasure comes to Utah from across the
nation, because those Utah ferrets were taken in and cared for by shelters
across the country.  Those shelters worked and paid for Utah's negligence
in closing this woman down.  Now we have to watch as Utah lets her go with
little more than a scolding.
 
Since Morrison is on probation, I hope that you will consider a harsher
punishment if some of the rude and insulting communications she is sending
out are passed on to you.  And I hope that in the future, if an animal
abuser comes before you, that you will find in yourself a deeper
understanding for the pain and suffering that animals have to endure in
the hands of humans who abuse them.
 
Sincerely,
Whoever
 
 
Obviously, any of this can be changed, words can be substituted, etc.
But anyone who would like may use this as a guide or as a whole.  It's
kind of long, but I included several aspects so that anyone who wants to
use it can pick and choose what they'd like say.  Please feel free to use
whatever parts you'd like.
 
I'm off to fax mine right now!!  A pox on those who abuse ferrets.  I
agree with all those who spoke of karma yesterday...the best justice I
can imagine is for Morrison to be reincarnated as one of the ferrets that
she caused so much suffering for.
 
-Heather W. in Massachusetts
 Wishing ferrets lives meant a whole lot more in Utah!
 
ps - this is not the first time ferrets' lives have not meant much in
Utah.  Several years ago, two men killed a woman's pet ferrets because
she was a lesbian and they didn't like her.  They clubbed her ferrets to
death right in front of her.  Because Utah has no hate crime laws, nothing
was done.  I don't know if there are any updates in the case...but it
doesn't seem like Utah is very friendly to ferrets!
[Posted in FML issue 3756]