Yes, there is an exotic animal permit in Albuquerque, N.M., for
ferrets. It costs $50 a year and, the way the ordinance is written, only
one permit is required regardless of the number of "exotics" a person owns.
 
This permit is not universally required throughout the state; the
ordinance I have is for Albuquerque only and is the providence of the mayor.
What rules other areas have, I don't know.
 
I am not surprised that different people have gotten totally different
information from different state and local agencies. I spoke to a manager at
Animal Control a couple of years ago who insisted there was no such
thing as a rabies shot for ferrets because they're "wild animals." He
told my vet's office the same thing. I've gotten to where I don't
believe most of what state or local officials say, because most of them
are clueless. Maybe that's why our new governor, Gary Johnson, got rid
of a lot of longtime state officials so he could start over (plus I'm
sure he wants to appoint his own supporters).
 
As I recall, it was a spokesman from Fish & Game who was quoted in the
paper three or four years ago as calling people who objected to the
intentional killing of a bird -- a yellow vireo -- that had never been seen
north of Mexico by a Berkeley grad student "rabid bird lovers." I have a
problem with that. The student got his blanket collection permit from
-- who else -- Fish & Game. This "researcher" taped the bird's call so
he could lure it off of Carlsbad Caverns National Park property where he
could not kill it legally.
 
I don't have a lot of respect for the agencies that deal with animals in
this state. The only animal-oriented people with any real power are the
ranchers. Which is fine up to a point, but I don't believe we should
ignore all the other critters as unimportant.
 
On a more positive note: Lucky Charm is playing in the trash can. It's
kind of deep for her; she looks pretty hilarious trying to get back out of
there. Of course, it only took her a few seconds -- she is quite a
climber. Pretty soon, she'll rival Espie for climbing champ honors.
 
                Linda, Espie, Frankie, and Lucky Charm
 
 
[Posted in FML issue 1096]