I am receiving info of all kinds that takes hours to look up and read. Here is what I am getting down to in my understanding. !. NZ need FMLs help, but do not seem sure just what should be written yet. They have 2 months of time to fight the ban or petition it and win, or pet ferrets will be banned in NZ. Is this correct? 2. Domestic and feral cats and dogs damage the eco system of NZ, as well as stoats and feral ferrets. But because of the 5 leashed ferrets found being walked on a beach off of NZ where no ferrets were allowed-the public outcry was so great that politicans decided to ban ferrets. Is this correct? 2.IF the ban goes through...People currently owning ferrets can keep them-but get no others. Stores can sell those they have-but get no more in. Breeders can continue breeding but cannot sell the ferrets in NZ. Is this correct? 3.Ferrets are being singled out unfairly -and this is what we would be protesting. To give you an example of how unfair the situation is-a govt. official has a cat that he allows lose on an island he and the cat live on that he is not supposed to live on because of how delicate the eco-system is. Yet the cat is allowed to kill animals on this delicate, off limits island. No one bats an eye at this! Cats kill a number of birds on the island, and are destroying the ecosystem. But nothing is being said about them being banned. It is the ferret being singled out here. It may well be unconstitutional. iS THIS CORRECT? 4.New Zealanders: let the FML know if there are any studies on cats and dogs and stoats on the island. What is being done about the damage they cause? 5. Feral ferrets apparently are greatly disliked in NZ by many people and the press, and called vermin. They-along with other animals-do hurt the eco-system. Ferrets in New Zealand do not have the popularity of a cat or dog. So they are being singled out. 6. In England, ferrets wear radio collars. Could this be something done with cats and ferrets and dogs left on the island to be fair to everyone? Could laws be toughened against people bringing cats or dogs or ferrets to the islands off the coast of NZ instead of ferrets being banned? People from NZ are afraid of giving their names because of the ban terror. Please find out how to write to the FML without using your name. I don't know how to do this. Can anyone tell us? *Let the FML know what you want from us please. Do we write letters now or hold off? Let us know when the petition you want us to sign is ready to read and sign.* This is my first day back at work since being ill, and I am home early because it was too early to go back. I am writing this doubled over. I know that there is a way New Zealanders can write to ALL of us incognito. Please ask BIG or others how to do this. Write to everyone. I have had someone write here thinking I am making these things up-which does not help the ferrets at all. [Moderator's note: I don't really know what the issue about writing to the FML is since existing ferrets won't be confiscated. But in any case, if people want to post anonymously they can do so on a case-by-case basis IF and ONLY IF they are subscribers. So subscribe and post. BIG] [Posted in FML issue 3741]