Hello! The Virginia Citizens for Common Sense Animal Laws represents thousands of pet owners in Virginia working toward responsible pet ownership through education. One of our primary goals is to overcome the prejudice and ignorance here in Virginia about the efficacy of the rabies vaccine in pets such as ferrets, wolfdogs, and other "non-traditional" pets which are rapidly becoming mainstream. This attitude has been primarily put forth by the Virginia Department of Health. We are once again helping to fight legislation that would effectively ban wolfdogs in Virginia. The foundation of the bill is the same tired argument from the Virginia Department of Health that ferret and wolfdog owners have heard for years. Their attitude is that unless we are absolutely certain that the vaccine works in a particular animal, we had better not vaccinate it, because this leads to a false sense of security. Although this is what they say publicly, their own official guidelines take the more sensible "better safe than sorry approach," and encourage vaccination of these pets. I know that ferret owners receive much of the same ignorant discrimination -- especially here in Virginia -- that wolfdog owners now face. On their behalf, I solicit your help. The Virginia Department of Health will state their same short-sighted attitude about rabies in "exotic species" this Monday, 27 January 1997, at 9AM in Senate Room A when Senate Bill 1027 is heard. Your show of support at this meeting along with wolfdog owners will send a clear message to the Health Department official who will most likely be there to speak (we all know who that will be!). It would also help to call the Virginia General Assembly (Virginia residents only, please) to oppose Senate Bill 1027, please call 800.889.0229. Please call our Information Hotline at 804.963.8223 for updated information. Thank you so much, we and our dogs greatly appreciate your concern and action. Keith C. Drake, Ph.D. Director H: 804.974.1617 W: 804.977.0686 ************************************************************* The problem with Bill Clinton's 'bridge to the future,' is that people like Ted Kennedy are going to be driving." ************************************************************* [Posted in FML issue 1826]