I've been reading the posts (behind as usual) regarding the Virginia ferrets that ended up not requiring rescue. I too was at the Symposium and I too heard Lisa's impassioned speech. That however is not what I want to comment on. What struck me... right to the heart, and what makes me proud to be a member of such a close knit and caring community is the speed at which people responded to a potential crisis involving ferrets. From the moment the Symposium attendees received word that a possible rescue was in the works people responded. I personally saw at least 5 people jump up and run for laptops and cell phones. Over the course of the next few hours I saw people huddled in small groups in the back of the room discussing and making plans to deal with this potential situation. These people, who had paid good money to get to the Symposium immediately abandoned it to offer their help and assistance to ferrets in need. Thankfully that help wasn't needed....but if it had been...those people would have been there and they would have been ready to help those ferrets. To me that speaks of a caring and compassion that far outweighs any misunderstandings in communication, personal feelings or politics involved and so I applaud these people for their commitment to what really matters.... THE FERRETS. Barbara Gustafson Alberta Ferret Society President http://www.albertaferretsociety.com [Posted in FML issue 3695]