Myself, I would hate to see this Maryland case dropped. I think it's important to let health departments know that people are not going to let incidents like this pass once the publicity has died down. Someone mentioned having John Neil removed by the governor--I think it would be worth it to flood the governor's office with complaints, even if it's just to let him know that people are outraged by what happened. Can someone post the governor's name and address (as well as John Neil's; myself, I'd rather write than call.) Thanks. Also, I think a lawsuit is an *excellent* idea. It would take a real commitment of time and resources, but if there are people able to pursue it, it could be very effective. It would be great to get some of the large animal groups involved if they thought it was worth it. Nobody wants to have the threat of a lawsuit hanging over their head; even if they win, it's a real pain in the neck for them to have to deal with it. Most important, it could cause health departments across the country to think twice before doing anything like this again. My heart goes out to this young girl whose ferret it was. It would be nice if there were a way to express sympathy to her. Cinderella, Norm & Ralph's mom in Mass. [Posted in FML issue 1092]