Hi,
 
Since posting the "Heads Up" message last week, I have been overwhelmed
with messages of support.  Thank you all.  Your words mean a lot to this
rather scared FML member.  I apologise for being a bit slow to respond -
I am burning the candle at all three ends at the moment <grin>.
 
For those of you not up with the play...
There is currently with the minister of conservation a number of options
for controlling the perceived threat that out housebound, caged neutered,
dependant on humans ferrets pose to native wildlife.  A threat far greater
than free roam cats apparently - NOT!  The minister has strongly hinted
she will be seeking to ban pet ferrets altogether
(http://www.forest-bird.org.nz/biosecurity/ferrets.asp).
 
The banning of pet ferrets is to a large extent being promoted by a large
lobby group called Forest & Bird Society.  What a bunch of evil scumbags
they are too (see the little story below).  Forest and Bird are promoting
their agenda by tarring domestic pet ferrets and feral ferrets with the
same brush (remember there are feral ferrets in NZ).
 
So New Zealanders stand up for your fuzzies.  Write to your local papers
and write to the politicians.  eMail me for a list of parliamentarians
eMail addresses (thanks Richard).  Remember to keep it civil.  My personal
approach is to try to differentiate between caged, housebound, neutered,
ferrets bred to be pets and feral ferrets.  I also call into question
Forest & Birds motives - according to the Kiwi Recovery program
[www.kiwirecovery.org.nz/content/help/danger/] of which F&B are a partner,
the three biggest threats to Kiwi are cats, dogs and stoats.  So why are
F&B not calling for the banning of pet cats and dogs?
 
Also if you are in the greater Wellington Area, and can make the Pet Expo
at the Trentham Race Course this weekend (one of the candle ends I have
been burning!  (kind of ironic don't you think?)) come help educate the
public as to what a domestic pet ferret really is.
 
Scumbag story:
A ferret owner rang F&B today posing as someone who was genuinely
interested in the current "situation".  She was subjected to the F&B
representative gloating about how they were going to get pet ferrets
killed (offering owners to turn them in and have them killed for free)
and would be going to pet stores to make sure pet store ferrets were
killed.  The ferret owner hung up in tears.
 
I am going to try to contact F&B tomorrow to get their official stance on
pet cats and pet dogs, to include in my eMail to parliamentarians which
currently (and subject to tweaking) reads as follows:
 
BEGIN
Dear XXXX,
 
As you are no doubt aware, Lobbyists are again calling for the banning of
_domestic pet ferrets_.  The conservation minister has indicated that she
will be making a decision on the issue within a month.
 
I understand from the 1999 DOC "discussion" documents author that the
minister has been presented with options arising from the submissions to
the document.  As I pointed out at the time (in my submission) - the
discussion document was largely irrelevant as it discussed feral ferrets
living in the wild.  You would be hard pressed to find someone who denies
that _feral ferrets_ are one of many threats to native wildlife.
 
The documents author and Lobbyists have tarred the domestic pet ferret with
the same brush as the feral ferret.  This is grossly misleading.  Can the
Department of Conservation and Lobbyists with hand on heart, honestly say
that a caged, housebound, neutered ferret that is solely reliant on its
owner for survival, poses the same threat to wildlife as a feral ferret?
For that matter does a domestic pet ferret even pose the same threat as a
free roam domestic cat?
 
I do not support the protection of feral ferrets, but while attacking
domestic pet ferrets and their owners, lobbyists appear to be
environmentally conscientious, but are in reality are just paying lip
service to the real problem - cats, dogs, and feral stoats and ferrets
[www.kiwirecovery.org.nz/content/help/danger/].  If cats and dogs are in
the top three threats to Kiwi, why is there not a call from the lobbyists
to ban pet cats and dogs?
 
While I am under no illusions that a 40,000 strong organisation such as
Forest and Bird carries more voting power than a few hundred pet ferret
owners, I should like to urge you to vote with your conscience and oppose
any legislation that would ban the keeping of _domestic pet ferrets_.
 
Thank you for your time.
 
Sincerely,
-David Holender
END
 
It may interest you to know that Ian Ewan-Street from the Greens Party (aka
watermelon party (green on the outside, red on the inside)) has explicitly
stated to a fuzzy owner that he will be voting to have ferrets banned, but
will support moves to educate cat owners (now isn't that nice <grrrrrrr>).
 
Thanks once again to you all for your support.
 
-David, a scared and depressed fuzzie Dad.
 
[A later P.S.]
Hi again,
 
I meant to also say in my previous post, that I have had a report from
a ferret owner (the one who told me the "scumbag" story) of some good
responses from some parliamentarians to the human angle.  That is letting
them know about a neat thing your pet does and attaching a cute picture.
Worth a try!  I think I will add this approach to my letter and maybe
even a "please don't sign my pets death warrant".  Again worth a try!
 
Regards,
-David
 
David Holender
The Open Polytechnic Of New Zealand
+64 (04) 560 5760
 
 
Foundation member of Ferret PAWS (NZ) Inc.
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Village/9074/
[Posted in FML issue 3425]