Alicia, I am not condemning our judicial system nor mocking it as you said. Maybe Im a little skittish of what I have seen over the years. I see owners bashing in dogs heads, kids setting cats on fire, kicking dogs, twirling cats around by their tails and have seen these "owners" year after year getting fined. Pay the fine and your done. Plead for a lesser charge of animal endangerment when they've left them without food and water for days. Do I believe it can be changed? Yes, as I stated I know one state has newly passed a law making it a serious crime to abuse animals (I wish I could remember which one) I believe the laws are not yet there to protect the animals the way they should be. My neighbor once shot my dog (the barking one I explained) with a bee bee gun. I called the police (this happened in front of my daughter mind you) they could do nothing. you know why? Because I didn't see him do it even though when the police questioned him he had the beebee gun he purchased from Edisons there (check this, he told the people at Edisons what he was buying if for). But, since I didn't see him do it they could not officially give him a ticket nor anything else. I believe that this situation (Oregon) was different. I don't disrespect the law or the laws put before us. But that doesn't mean I have to agree with the way it works. I know for a fact that the day I went to the Humane Society when my dog (other one) snuck under the fence and out running around (animal control and human society) A woman entered with a box of kittens (think four) and they had ringworm. The Human Society worker said "do you know we will not treat them and they will have to be put down?" yes, she did. Believe this? The lady got mad and said then "you'll have to answer to God, not me!" Anyway ... you want to help shelters when rescuing from abuse cases? Why not make a phamplet to pass around where they can fill in the blanks and find their laws and have all the necessary checks they need before they do a rescue. This will go further than condemning a "rescue" when it indeed did not have the characteristics of a typical rescue situation. As far as the Oregon case goes though ... misinformation was the pitfall here. You did not have all the facts. You jumped to conclusions and condemed other persons for doing what they do best, helping the ferrets. Sometimes things are better left out of the courts. Each situation is different and needs to be based on the facts of the case. Oh and PS. Maybe the lady at the animal control was telling me some story or something, or maybe that's what she was told. But I am no liar and Im saddened that you would get so worked up that you would say such a thing to someone you don't know. Leanne B [Posted in FML issue 3929]