Pam wrote:-
 
>1. Require that no domesticated companion animal... be sold to the
>   public until it is 8 weeks of age.
 
Someone posted a response that 10 weeks would be a better alternative.  If
this is a serious attempt to start an all-inclusive legislative push, let
me state right off the bat that you'll never make headway for anything
beyond 7 weeks.  Most retreiver-training guides choose the 49th day (7
weeks) as the the optimum time to pick up a pup;  there's enough
'mothering' so that they know they're a dog, but not so much that they
won't accept another as their 'new' mom.  I'm sure this age varies with
cats and ferrets as well.  Unfortunately, it would be hard for this to
make any headway as a ferrets-only bill, it would start getting
complicated once you start mandating different ages for different pets,
and I'm sure there would 'constitutionality' issues for restricting one's
right to sell their goods on the free market.  Despite all that, I think
it's a great idea, but if you want to include dogs as well as ferrets, the
you'll get oppostion from any sort of hunting organization/lobby for
anything less than 7 weeks.
 
                                        -Erin...
[Posted in FML issue 2305]