It is a horrible thing to have living creatures stolen from your care. I have often said that if life truly were precious, pet shops would be looted, thieves emerging wild-eyed with fistfuls of hamsters. Given the time of year, there is a probability that animals of many kinds will be stolen for purposes other than mere possession. Halloween: an ancient and venerable holiday observed in many parts of the world, *can* be (so sadly) often celebrated in severely misguided ways. May the ferrets be safe and found soon. And if not, may the Great Circle embrace them and welcome them to a gentle home at the Rainbow Bridge. [JM] [Posted in FML issue 4663]