I wonder if anyone can possibly tell me how long the RSPCA has to keep an animal before putting it to sleep? One day last week a very friendly hob ferret decided to go walkabout. He kept giving his owner the slip, dived under a fence etc which his owner couldn't climb over. After losing Boe's trail the owner went home and printed out over 600 flyers complete with photo of Boe. Jon and his girl friend, Sharon, shoved the flyers though doors in the area where Boe was last seen. After 5 hours of freedom Boe gave himself up and wandered into a police station. The police called in the RSPCA - an official arrived to take the ferret. Within 10 minutes of picking up the ferret, a much loved pet, the slime ball gave Boe a lethal injection, so much for the caring, wonderful RSPCA... If the cameras aren't around or they don't think they can get good publicity they don't give a toss. I reckon they've bitten off a bit more than they can chew this time... they are going to get plenty of publicity - only not the kind they'd like... Jon has been promised that the RSPCA will carry out an internal investigation - stuff that for a lark, a public investigation, with the head of the official concerned on a platter. They won't tell him the name of the man who murdered Boe. I guess the perpetrator would have good reason to be worried if his name was given out. The RSPCA seem to be convinced that ferrets are wild animals - if you write to them asking about their policy on ferrets you will (perhaps) get a reply from their wild life officer... good eh? How the heck do you convince them ferrets are a domestic animal and have been for over two and half thousand years.... Anyway Boe's story will be going up on my web pages shortly... complete with a memorial to Boe. My sympathy goes to Jon and Sharon who have lost a loved pet. -- Sheila Bolton Ferret Welfare. Author of "All about your Ferret" - Ringpress ISBN 1-86054-171-2 (UK) Barron's ISBN 0-7641-1189-2 (USA & Canada) Web Site: www.btinternet.com/~sheila/ferrets.htm last update 10 April 2000 Waiting at Rainbow Bridge: Jill, Deanna Troy, Cameron, Carnath, Button, Bill, Bobby, Jasper, Inga, Holly, Fergle, Amanda & Sparky [Posted in FML issue 3041]