The following is my personal signed letter sent today to Verizon Wireless re: their current ad campaign. For those who also wish to write the regional address is: Verizon Wireless Executive COrrespondence 133 Calkins Rd. Rochester, NY 14623-9934 Alicia D. >To Whom it may concern, > >I am writing in response to a current advertisement you are running for >Verizon Wireless . This advertisement features a ferret and quite a >poor ferret look alike at that. While you may be a casual outsider >and not involved with the 'ferret community" with a primary intent of >entertainment , I am insulted by your choice of promotion. I am and >have been an educator and rehabilitation professional within the ferret >sheltering community and animal welfare community for nearly ten years. >Your advertisement is a slap in the face to the hurdles and educational >progress people like myself have worked for in order to provide a better >understanding of this unique companion animal. The domesticated ferret >has been victimized by media formats over and over again has been >persecuted by public officials who were lacking knowledge and >understanding, and by you promoting a ferret biting a human tongue on >media format which reaches millions of people each and every day, YOU, >VERIZON WIRELESS , HAVE PERPETUATED a brutal insult and degradation to >this companion animal. > >Your advertising campaign has projected exactly the myths and >misunderstandings we educators have worked so hard to correct. It is >due to these types of satires and parody's, like your ferret comedy >commercial , that ignorance still leaves the ferret illegal to own in >California and New York City proper. I ask you to immediately WITHDRAW >this ad campaign and to offer an apology to the ferret community. It is >the least you can do. Meanwhile you can bet your bottom dollar I will >not utilize Verizon Wireless at home or at work and as soon as there is >a local service I will also drop my Verizon local phone service. I am >THAT appalled at your poor taste & judgement. > > >Pleading for a positive action, > >Alicia Drakiotes >PO Box 562 >Marlborough, NH 03455-0562 > >Education coordinator, International Ferret Congress >www.ferretwise.org [Posted in FML issue 3873]