The Commonwealth of Massachusetts A P R O C L A M A T I O N By His Excellency G O V E R N O R W I L L I A M F . W E L D 1997 WHEREAS: Mustela putorius furo, known commonly as the ferret, is a domestic animal with a long and colorful history of faithful service as a working animal and a pet; and WHEREAS: March 7, 1997, marks the one-year anniversary of the signing of the bill that legalized ferret ownership in the Commonwealth; and WHEREAS: This bill dispelled the ignorance, prejudice, and misinformation surrounding ferrets, allowing these animals to serve their owners as sources of joy and companionship; and WHEREAS: Today, ferret owners in Massachusetts have the right to enjoy these animals as pets, to seek proper veterinary care, to gather with other ferret owners, and to shop for their pets' needs without fear of confiscation or legal prosecution; and WHEREAS: These new-found freedoms are accompanied by the responsibility to care properly for ferrets, which includes procuring vaccinations in accordance with health requirements; training these animals to behave within the context of domestic life; and fighting abuse neglect, and abandonment of these animals; NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM F. WLED, Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, do hereby proclaim March 7th, 1997, to be FERRET FREEDOM DAY and urge all the citizens of the commonwealth to ake cognizance of this event and participate fittingly in its observance. Given at the Executive Chamber in Boston, this twentieth day of February, in the year of our Lord one thousand one hundred and ninety-seven, and of the Independence of the United States of America, the two hundred and twenty-first. <signed> By His Excellency the Governor WILLIAM F. WELD <signed> WILLIAM F. GALVIN Secretary of the Commonwealth <SEAL of the COMMONWEALTH> GOD SAVE THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS ******************************************************************* Transcribed from the orginal by Lee McKee, Clerk, MaFF [Posted in FML issue 1865]