Here's the other letter: snip,print,sign and mail it. ------cut here---- Mr. Paul Irwin President Humane Society of the United States 21000 L Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20037 Dear Mr. Irwin: HSUS promotes the wanton destruction of Ferrets, and we want this killing to stop now! The Ferret is the third most popular companion animal; there are between 6 and 8 million domestic Ferrets in the U.S. today. We strongly urge you to reconsider the current policies of HSUS concerning the Domestic Ferret (Mustela putorious furo), and to adopt the following recommendations, THAT: * Ferrets be recognized as Domestic animals. All reputable scientific sources support the domesticity of this animal. The misclassification of the Ferret as "wild" or "exotic" is not only scientifically incorrect, it promotes bad public health policies. * The USDA licensed vaccine be recognized for ferrets. The U.S. Department of Agriculture licensed the IMRAB vaccine for ferrets on February 7, 1990. It is the same vaccine product used to protect dogs, cats, and horses. The efficacy criteria used for vaccine approval in ferrets were identical to those met by other species, as required under Title 9 of the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations part 113.129. * To cease and desist the misinformation campaign promulgated by your organization regarding the temperament and suitability of the domestic ferret as a pet. "Statistics from the Center [sic] for Disease Control and an article in the JAMA indicate that the number of bites inflicted by ferrets appears to be substantially lower than those by dogs and cats..." [JAVMA-1988]. "As adults, ferrets are thought by many to be adorable animals, equally as attractive as the domestic cat and they are commonly reported to be excellent pets..." [Michigan Veterinary Medical Association]. * All Ferrets brought to a Humane Society Shelter be relinquished to a shelter recognized by S.T.A.R.FERRETS (Shelters That Adopt and Rescue Ferrets) or the American Ferret Association for placement. The majority of pet ferrets sold in the U.S. are produced by large commercial breeders who spay/neuter the animals prior to sale. Sincerely, ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ ------ cut here ----- lenny. You gotta fight, for your right, to ferret... [Posted in FML issue 0226]