As a long time lurker here, I've decided that I NOW need to put my 2 cents in. My husband and I have had ferrets in our home for a little over 20 years now, and I'm not ready to let them go because of a bureaucrat. After reading Viki's posts, I decided that a couple of calls was in order. If you check any of the ads for pet products, you'll find that they ALL have phone numbers, e-mail addys, maybe even a web site. In 1997, I was "encouraged" to go out and collect raffle prizes for the annual GCFA ferret show. I was told if I could sell houses, I could talk people out of their merchandise. Well, I put on my "pushy" hat and started making calls and getting more people to give me merchandise for our raffles than we'd ever had. I found that just talking to most of these big companies and giving them a little "schmoozing" went a long way. I've made some great contacts along the way. I make sure that every year at the big pet industry show held here in Rosemont, I stop and talk (often to my husband's dismay) to each and every contact that I've ever made, whether I use their product exclusively or just on occasion. Last night (Tuesday), I called Dr. Tom Willard of Performance Foods, Inc. When I told him what was being proposed here, I could hear his blood pressure going up. Since if was the end of the business day, he said that he'd make a point of calling 2 groups that all members of the pet industry belong to -- APPMA - American Pet Products Manufacturers Association -- and PIJAC - Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council. Apparently both of these groups have the legal background to either help or send us in the right direction. This morning, I called Debbie Phillips of Marshall Pets. When she found out I was on the phone, her first comment was "You're not happy are you?" She had already heard part of what was going on here from one of her distributors that was at a pet show over the weekend. All of Marshalls was buzzing over this. I forwarded all of the postings that I could find from the FML, contacted Viki Rollins to see if she'd saved the 5 page ordinance that they were planning to pass through the City Council, and asked her to fax them to Debbie. Debbie said that PIJAC was already working on some things because of her "heads up" from the day before. Debbie said that they were really smart to do this at this time (the City Council) -- it's summer/vacation time. Most people are long gone to someplace quiet for the months of June - August. Pretty clever aren't they!!! Yes, I made contacts with 2 major ferret products suppliers. But there must be SOMEONE that every ferret owner in Chicago knows. Go to pet store where you buy your supplies -- if they lose your business that's BIG $$$$. Call your Vet -- I know that mine makes a fortune off me with all my guys -- that's BIG $$$ out of their pockets also. If they get this passed, what animal is next??? To not be an exotic, you need to be native to that particular area. Do you know what's native to Illinois -- deer, raccoon, opossum, skunk, otter, mink, musk rat, wolf, coyote, some very nasty-tempered snakes, turtles (on the protected list) and several species of birds. NONE of these can be found in a pet store. Your cat, dog, birds or fish that you buy at the local store, ARE NOT native to the area. So what's next?? Off my soap box. Debbi and the tribe of 6 -- missing 16 [Posted in FML issue 4218]