Dear Anonymous, The Agricultural inspection stations have been different things at different times the last 10 years in CA. At one moment they are checking every car and truck coming through. Then next moment they are checking random cars. The next they are only checking commercial vehicles. For a while they were closed down altogether. (Some still are.) They reason for all of this is funding. We never know from one day to another what they are doing because they don't give us any notice. Personally I don't think they know. For those of you who don't know. There are 6 agricultural inspection stations that are on the main arteries coming into CA. With ferrets being illegal in CA, if you are stopped your ferret will be confiscated. Some station officers will bend the rules and let you turn around and go back. You would be horrified at how many people choose not to and hand their pets over. They then the officers call rescue and we have 48 hours to pick the ferret up and take it back out of state or the animal will be euthanized (this has never happened in the 8 years I have been doing this). The Ag station your are talking about in Needles in the busiest one. After the station being closed to private vehicles for over a year. They have opened Needles back up, trying a new program. Needless to say we are picking up a lot of animals. The best way to avoid this is to go to the www.ferretsanonymous.com site and click on "Avoid the Checkpoints." There you will find ways to drive around the Ag stations. These directions are all tried and true. Let me say this too. Should you get stopped at a station. Smile and play nice. You will get a lot father. Most of these guys don't like this law anymore that we do. They are just doing their job. The guys at the Needles station especially so. Their are a few that truly worry about these little guys when they come in. Last week they held 3 way past the 48 hour rule, until a volunteer picked these 3 up. Good luck, be careful, and be informed. If there is anyone out there, especially in AZ that is close to the CA border that would be willing to be a volunteer pick up, we never have enough and are always looking for more help. Thanks, Robin Jones California Domestic Ferret Assoc. FURR Rescue [Posted in FML 5523]