This is a copy of the letter I sent to the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council.. I had a talk with the legislative Dept of the California Dept of Food and Agriculture about the plight of illegal pets. Since the CA Fish and Game Dept claimed it didn't have the authority to define domestic animals, I tried to find out who did have that right. The Dept of Food and Agriculture handles issues about livestock..I aksed them 'where do pets fit in?' since livestock generaly refers to animals USED by man as food, clothing, work or medical research. They said they didn't cover 'pets or companion animals' mostly due to lack of funding. The Fish and Game for some unknown reason is more concerned with pets then the Dept that SHOULD be handling it. The CA Dept of Food and Agriculture however does support the legalization of ferrets or other exotics due to the fact that they are (quote) 'sick of having to confiscate pets at the border station'. They also support the views of the California Vet Asso...They are aware that the adverage c itizen in CA doesn't even know that there ARE prohibited species here. They did say due to the way things are in CA, once a species is prohibited, even if it was just the Fish and Game who decided they were, it takes an assembly bill to change it. The current prohibited list is unconstitutional since it was an act of the Dept and not voted on. The F&G Dept however remains determined to fight any changes only because they have personal grudges against the people fighting them. Try calling them and even asking about ferrets..The mood turns ugly fast.. Its become a personal issue to the head of the Dept, when they should be concidering the plight of the animals themselves. They refuse to issue permits even to those people who can afford them, unless they were grandfathered in, are very rich (and can grease the right palms) or are a zoo. There is only one rescue facility with the permits and no others have been allowed to start.. Such a vendeta against a small harmless animal.. Other exotics are being targeted to..A top exotic animal vet was turned down for a permit for a hedgehog after paying over $600 in non-refundable fees. If one of the top exotic animal vets in the west coast, who is a standby vet for a ZOO, cannot get a permit, then what chance do 'normal' people have? [Posted in FML issue 1869]