>From:    Win Brown <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Michigan Ferret Law in limbo
>Last week another 2 ferrets, here in Michigan, were indiscreninatly killed
>because they have no protection under the law when they bite or scratch
>someone.  There is a recommendation to quarantine but some animal control
>officers think the only good ferret is a dead one.
 
That is a pretty harsh statement.  Most, if not all animal control
divisions are treating ferrets just like dogs or cats.  You would probably
find this AC agency, in this country and in the same situation even if
they had been cats or dogs would have been destroyed as well.  It most
likely had nothing to do with the rabies threat, but the fact that they
bit and would not have been considered good candidates for placement.  Not
positive because I do not know the full story.  You have given no details.
 
>PLEASE, if you live in Michigan, or even if you don't,
 
We have requested in the past that persons who have no stake in the
situation not contact these people unless requested.  It all just goes in
the round file.  If you can't vote for them, they aren't interested.
 
>please email the following people that might be able to help get House
>Bill 5219 out of committee and on the house floor where it should have
>been acted on more than a year ago.
 
Actually Win that bill died in the Senate Committee on 12-31-98.  It was in
the Senate because it had already been to the House.  To date, no one has
been able to get another Rep or Senator to sponsor a new bill.  Because of
term limits almost all of the House and quite a few of the Senators are new
and need to be educated.  How many times have you spoken with YOUR Rep?
How about encourageing him/her to be the sponsor of a new bill?  How
involved have you been?  I would bet not a whole bunch because if you had
you would have known the status of the now dead HB5219.
 
>Be kind in your appeals...don't bad mouth these people or we won't get
>anywhere.  The Governor: John Engler email [log in to unmask] and
>Senator David Jaye (he who has pigeonholed the bill)
>[log in to unmask]
 
ANY e-mails are just going to make the ferret community look foolish.  You
are asking people to push for a bill that is not even there.
 
>As with any type of appeal...lot and lots of paper to reach these people
>will make them take notice.
 
Lots and lots of correspondence is certainly not going to help this cause -
especially with Senator Jaye.  Do you understand the type of person you are
dealing with here?
 
>GLFA get behind this appeal please.
 
I really really wish you had contacted one of the GLFA Officers to find
out what the heck WAS going on in this regard before issuing this notice on
the FML.  Several members have been working hard trying to get a new bill
going.  As I said, many of us are dealing with totally new legislators.
They (the legislators) are cautious and don't want to make mistakes.  They
are all jockying for power positions.  They need to be handled (if you
will) so they become allies-not oponents.  Senator Jaye is a story unto
himself.  Our only hope next time through is to get the bill into a
different Committee.  You can be assured that GLFA is working on what needs
to be done.
[Posted in FML issue 2698]