Could someone who is around Calgary PLEASE write to the Calgary Herald
and let them know that ferrets have been used by at least two people
for seizure alert animals warning them in time before seizures so that
they could take their medications and lie down in a safe place to avoid
falls

http://www.extremeweezils.com/ewfriends.html#cerino

<http://www.smallanimalchannel.com/media/critter-news/legal-news/ferrets-cause-eviction.aspx.pdf>

and that ferrets are relatives of otters, not rodents.

Here is what a Calgary Herald editorial said from a lofty perch of
ignorance (nose too high in the air to see what happens with us mortals
below, perhaps?):

<http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/theeditorialpage/story.html?id:b7598b-db77-40fc-bf2f-7cc5c2e8c37c>

which began:
>We smell a rodent
>Calgary Herald
>Published: Sunday, July 27, 2008
>The facts about service animals should be easy to ferret out -- the
>weasel-like creatures don't count.

Now, I don't know if her ferrets really do help that woman with her
agoraphobia. They might. The person who would have enough knowledge to
decide would be a mental health professional familiar with her case,
not a newspaper editor nor a transit employee.

Also, I DO know that they have helped people avoid further brain injury
by avoiding seizures, avoid other injuries which falls during seizures
could have caused, and helped bring a little autistic boy out of his
shell in which he was trapped.

http://www.modernferret.com/pressreleases/sean.html

http://www.wolfysluv.com/seanval.html

http://www.wolfysluv.com/bb.html

Ferrets have also been used as nursing home visitors to help bring joy
and wonder to patients there. Here is a piece by a veterinarian who has
a ferret who serves people in this way:

<http://en.allexperts.com/q/Ask-Veterinarian-700/Ferrets-continuing-care-facilities.htm>

If those things are not service then I don't know what is! Not all
service animals are dogs, plain and simple.

(Currently, in the U.S. there is a bill posing as an improvement to the
Disabled Americans Act service animal laws which actually would cause
harmful limitations mixed in with the things that would be improved. It
is by no means a clear improvement though some are touting it as such.)

Feel free to use this data and the links in your letter, please.

Also, could someone with better eyes than mine find the Letters to the
Editor addresses, please? The site is not particularly friendly for
those with reduced vision.

People elsewhere in Canada might want to look for this in other
newspapers with the same ownership and also reply. (They have
affiliates in other nations like Australia, apparently, too, so...)

Sukie (not a vet)

Recommended ferret health links:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/
http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html
http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/
http://www.ferretcongress.org/
http://www.trifl.org/index.shtml
http://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html

[Posted in FML 6045]