In Kansas, state regulations require a shelter/pound to hold any animal they
take in for 3 days to give the owners time to reclaim the animal.  After
those 3 days, it is up to the facility to determine what is done with the
animal.  You can contact your STATE Animal Health Dept and ask if their
regulations are similar and report the actions of this particular pound.
You can request a copy of the regulations or if you are good at "ferreting"
out info you can look up the state statutes yourself at the local library.
The statute books should be kept at the reference desk.
 
You can print off a copy of the 1998 Compendium of Animal Rabies Control
from one of the websites (AVMA, LIFE, and others) and take it with you when
you talk to the pound manager.  If this is a Humane (only in name)Society
pound, there is a board that determines policies.  If you present the
information to the board, and they are reasonable and truly concerned about
the welfare of the animals (unlike the Lawrence Kansas Humane Society), then
they will immediately vote to change the policy.  If not, well then you are
in for a fight.  My suggestion would be to publicize their actions by
writing a letter to the editors in your local and surrounding area papers,
try to get a paper to pick up the story, peacefully picketing the pound
(check local ordinances for any restrictions), contact other pounds/shelters
in the area and find out if they will be willing to take the ferrets instead
of sending them to that death trap (they may have a contract with the city),
and talk with the local veterinarians to see if they will help you try to
change that deadly policy.
 
I do have a copy of the study that determined that the vaccine is effective
in ferrets and I also have that in writing from Dr. Rupprecht at CDC.  I'd
be happy to fax/mail the info to you or directly to the pound.
 
Let me know what I can do to help.  Hugs to all. tle
[Posted in FML issue 2220]