Heard this morning of another case (not in my state) in which a ferret was
killed (Heard too late.) by a local department even after the state health
department had decided to follow the 1998 Compendium LAST NOVEMBER and HAD
made many efforts to educate the local departments.  If you haven't
contacted YOUR local departments PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE do so NOW.  The
ferret you save may be your own!!!!!!!  Remember that you can get copies of
the 1998 Compendium of Animal Rabies Control from STAR Ferrets or from the
AFA with SASE, or you can copy it from the AVMA website, or ask your vet if
you can copy it from the office copy of JAVMA.  Send it AND make a follow-up
phone call.  Have your savvy and friendly local ferret friends get in touch,
too.  Let them know in a pleasant and non-direct way that you are informed
(which means that you could create a very embarrassing situation in the
local press if they screw up so they'll want to avoid that).  Even in states
where the state public health experts have sent info about why they accepted
the Compendium and how tough the research is, and have held seminars and
used even more info distribution methods there are STILL locals who just
file away the papers and don't listen to the talks.  Those place NEED
friendly pressure (Don't aggravate them -- in some states the locals are
autonomous so you need their friendship to save lives, and pounds can kill
for no reason beyond lack of space.) Otherwise, the next time a slightly
long claw on one of your ferrets, or a kiss over a cut, or a "Let me down"
nip, or a bite by a terrorized ferret (which could be YOUR ferret) happens
that fuzzie might wind up dead before the killing can be stopped.  SAVE YOUR
FERRET TODAY!
 
Kym is working on a website about the Compendium and compliiance (HAS now
been accepted by MOST states on a state level).
 
Sukie
[Posted in FML issue 2277]