There are several ways that posts to APHIS/USDA will help get improvements for ferrets 1. Some qualify as expert testimony foe their subset, such as when shelters talk about the added burdens they encounter, vets talk about the medical considerations, transportation and pet store people speak of what they encounterd, and owners talk about the burdens placed upon them due to current standards not protecting ferrets enough. 2. Some provide important data. This helps inform the USDA that a problem exists. 3. Some provide the needed sheer numbers which show that there is public support for improved standards. These are most effective when they are signed. It also helps for them to vary in content. Now, not everyone will want to sign. In that case, please, do not send identical posts. When that happens the USDA has to consider that there may be one person repeatedly sending in the same thing. Right now we are at 142 letters in the edocket. That's a nice starting number, but not anywhere near as many as we should have. What we really need is to have the mum people who have been assuming that everyone else can do the work to instead now take the time to please, please, please write just one little letter. This effort to save ferrets is in the hands of the ferret community to win or to lose, and honestly, we need a lot of you to speak up if we are going to end some of the most frustrating and avoidable causes of ferret deaths nationally. Ferrets are not "things", but if we are going to get decent standards which express that reality we need people to love them enough to write just one letter. If people are shy about their writing then Alexandra <[log in to unmask]> will be available in a few days to quietly help with grammar and spelling. You may submit comments via EDOCKET (see below) or by sending 4 copies of your letter to: Docket No. 04-088-1 Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 3C71 4700 River Road Unit 118 Riverdale, MD 20737-1238 You must include the Docket No. 04-088-1 on your letter! Here is the edocket site: <http://docket.epa.gov/edkfed/do/EDKStaffCollectionDetailView? objectId=0b0007d4809252bb> You can find some important points to make in http://www.ferretcongress.org/USDA/sampleletters.html and http://www.ferret.org/pdfs/general/usdaletterpointers.pdf and here is the USDA's letter to be signed and sent by by U.S. Post Office http://www.ferret.org/pdfs/general/usdaformletter.pdf Sukie (not a vet) Ferret Health List co-moderator http://www.smartgroups.com/groups/ferrethealth FHL Archives fan and regular user http://fhl.sonic-weasel.org International Ferret Congress advisor http://www.ferretcongress.org [Posted in FML issue 4992]