ABA 363 Passed this afternoon! The current vote, not including absentees is currently 9-1 in favor. Eight votes were needed to pass the bill. This is the first step, so keep tuned to the CFL webpage. We've a great deal more work ahead of us. The hearing was a hard one and Committee Chairman of Water, Parks and Wildlife, Mike Machado, appeared to be more interested in the oppositions "concerns" (no factual evidence was presented on paper) than in hearing the expert witnesses CFL brought with them (some of whom were not even given the opportunity to speak). Machado was the one dissenting vote. CFL's expert witnesses included Graham Wellstead from England, Dick Schumacher, DVM, Executive Director of the CA Veterinary Medical Association, Freddie Ann Hoffman, MD and V.P. of the AFA and (forgive me for this one, I didn't get the names) a family who came to testify with their children on how great ferrets are as pets. Testifying for the oppositon were members of the CA Farm Bureau, CA Waterfowl (Audobon - forgive the misspelling), F&G and a family whose daughter was mauled my a ferret at the age of 27 days. Unfortunately, the full circumstances of that event where not brought to light, as severe neglect was involved and was documented by the animal control officer's report who was called to the scene after the event occurred. The parents were not even present. The little girl was represented by the family attorney and her grandmother, who currently has custody of her. Members of CDFA, including Marie, Hildy and Bill were on hand as was Jeanne and Floyd Carley, representing CFL and Margaret Wilton for the Golden State Ferret Society . The were several other supporters on hand, including myself from FA and Scott Beisner (President of the Golden State Ferret Society), who keeps up the CFL webpage, and Glen Quan, who did an admirable job in putting together a document with the names of over 1000 ABA 363 supporters in the Bay Area, as well as many others who came to the hearing to show their support. We should applaud them all for their effortsand hard work on this bill. To those of you who wrote letters to the Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee member, thanks to you all. You made a difference! Please continue in your efforts and we'll have an increased chance of getting this bill through the remaining committees. At this point we need to get through assembly appropriations and then the bill goes to the floor of the assembly for the final vote there. After that we start all over with the Senate, so we are looking at several more months before this is over, at least through the summer. Keep up the great work! :) We furblurs appreciate it more than you know! [Posted in FML issue 1904]