Hello, I understand and completely agree with everyone's extreme disappointment over the veto for ferret legalization, but I myself do feel that the there is still a big chance that it will happen in the future...we must continue the fight and never give up! I wanted to bring to everyone's attention an animal related bill that he did pass-SB 1520 which will, come the year 2012, ban ALL production and sale of foie gras in the state of California! This is a HUGE achievement for animal rights and the animals themselves! This will hopefully inspire the state of NY, in which the country's other major producer of foie gras is housed, to amend it's laws also... For those of you who do not know, foie gras-the French term for "fatty liver" is actually that, the grossly enlarged livers of ducks and geese that is sold as an expensive delicacy in many countries. The ducks and geese are housed in deplorable conditions,and to say they are treated inhumanely doesn't begin to describe it. On these factory farms, to achieve the fatty liver, the birds are force fed, using long metal tubes inserted into their esophagus, a pound of food in about 2 seconds, three times a day. This causes many physical problems, not only related to fattened livers, but broken beaks, sore and blown esophagus and crippling due to weight are all to common. The actual term for what happens to the liver is hepatic lipidosis, actually a disease! So what people are consuming when they are eating this so called "delicacy" is a disease, which is very obviously unhealthy. But unfourtuanly many people do not know what is behind the making of foie gras, and that is why I have chosen to share this today. Foie gras is very simply an unnecessary food that is detrimental to both birds and people. For more info on the topic, visit www.nofoiegras.com . Thank you for letting me share this information with you, I know that as animal lovers it is very hard to hear, but if we do not listen, suffering continues. My other point is sharing this is that if the Governor passed this, he obviously has concern and some heart for animals.....All hope is not lost for the ferrets of California!! We have to keep our heads up despite this loss...a major achievement for animals happened with SB 1520....we can be next! Kathleen [Posted in FML issue 4653]