Yes, there were ferrets used to find the shedding periods for rabies which
allowed the Compendium of Animal Rabies Control to be changed in favor of
not killing ferrets for brain-testing after bites, nips, or allegations of
such things.  (There was at least one case in which a ferret person said
that her ex-boyfriend had reported a bite when none happened to kill her
ferrets in revenge for her dropping him.)  The upshot was that the deaths
of those ferrets used in the shedding studies saved more than their number
within only months.  Think how many it has saved since.  Some states went
to not killing right after the vote by the National Association of State
Public Health Vets in early November of 1997 (almost 3 years ago), others
after it became formal at the start of 1998, some not until later that year
after many follow-ups.
 
There still are some in which there is a great deal of local control on
this issue and in those states ignorant local officials still at times kill
vaccinated ferrets, so it pays to stay on one's toes even with all this
progress in saving ferrets.  It's like that recent letter from N.H. in
which a vet didn't know about IMRAB 3.  Emergency rooms are another place
where there still is too often lack of knowledge about the Compendium of
Animal Rabies Control.  You can educate, too, by making copies of the
Compendium from the AVMA site (It's in three parts in the professional
resources section,or by copying it from the first annual edition of JAVMA
any year.  Some things just have to happen locally, which makes every FML
member important in saving lives.
 
Anyway, those lives lost resulted in saving more than their number very
rapidly and continue to save.
 
Do know that some people always will feel strongly about not giving to
research which kills to save even more, but with ADV there is not that
excuse to not donate (from the info Judy has shared in the past) since
monies can be sent to the current research done on samples donated by
already sick pet ferrets by sending check to the GA address:
 
   M.A. Stevenson, DVM, PhD, DACVS
   209A Vet Med Building
   Dept. of Small Animal Medicine
   UGA College of Veterinary Medicine
   Athens, GA 30602-7390
 
Maybe you won't want to give to a later complimentary project, but you
have options: give more now, or find another ferret health project or
charity in the future to which you can give if you have such limits on
donations.  Hey, the ferret you save may be your own.  As Dr. Stevenson
herself pointed out in her letter which Judy made available: "Any parties
interested in donating to these efforts are welcome to send checks to The
University Foundation ear-marked for the Ferret ADV Research Group and for
research NOT involving EXPERIMENTALLY infected ferrets" and "We are also
very supportive of the AFA ADV fund as the projects that fund will
ultimately finance are projects that will benefit ferrets.  We encourage
ferret enthusiasts to be generous in giving to the ADV effort with which
they feel most comfortable.  We are all striving for the same goals.".
There are always ways to help save ferrets.  So why not help a few whenever
you get a chance?
[Posted in FML issue 3194]