1. Non-vetted shows. Google non-vetted show and see what you come up with online. Here's just one example from a cat show entry packet: NON-VETTED: This is a non-vetted show. All entries are expected to be free of fleas, fungus, and illnesses. Exhibitors are advised to have cats and kittens inoculated for feline enteritis, rhinotracheitis, calici viruses, rabies, and tested for FeLV before entry. All claws of all entries must be clipped prior to benching. Any cat suspected of illness or infestation will be required to leave, along with all entries of that exhibitor. 2. Checking records. If you look at dog and cat shows they do not check records 'at the door'. But they retain the right to request to see records at any time for any reason. Hell, I can give you names of folks who have been banned from AFA shows because they falsified their vaccination documentation and some of their ferrets came down with CD! Oh, wait a minute, those folks go to LOS shows now. Hummmm....... AFA requires current rabies vaccination. This is the law in most states and since it's the law AFA requires it. This is just common sense and if you have ever had a show where someone was nipped or scratched and the person asked to see the rabies certificate then you better be sure that ferret has one. This is one vaccination that we can't just 'RECOMMEND' folks have. Having proof has saved ferret's lives. As for canine distemper vaccinations, if everyone has their ferret vaccinated properly there should be no issues with a ferret picking up CD at a show. AFA can't recommend vaccinating ferrets with non-USDA licensed vaccines. So we have put the responsibility on the owner to vaccinate their ferrets for CD as they see fit. That said a lot of ferret owners are now getting titer levels checked due to the AFA Titer Study that Dr. Ruth Heller is doing and they are finding their ferret's CD titer level is high enough for protection more than a year past vaccination. So it is up to the owner to do what they feel is best for their ferret and if they feel the ferret is protected then that's fine. 3. ADV Testing. This is just common sense. ADV is still out there and you have a better chance of your ferret picking this up from a show that does not require current testing than from a show that does require it. Shows should be doing all they can to protect ferrets too by not having communal playpens or doing anything that requires ferrets to 'share' an item with another ferret - like racing tubes, paper bags, cups for tipping, etc. Just like back in the 60's and 70's when all you needed to do for safe sex was be on the pill that old standard can get you killed these days. Times have changed and shows must too. Nuff said. If anyone out there - other than the LOS'er anon poster(s) and Deb cause I don't think it will help - want more information on AFA shows, requirements, safety, etc. please feel free to contact me directly. Vickie McKimmey Just a Business of Ferrets www.jbferret.com American Ferret Association Director of Shows and Special Events www.ferret.org Author of Ferrets: An Animal Planet Pet Care Library Series Book [Posted in FML 6393]