The Sierra Club position on ferrets in CA would be laughable if not so potentially damaging to the efforts at legalization. "Sensitive ecosystem" my fanny pack! We live in Northern CA between 4 refineries. In the last 3 monthd there have been explosions, toxic leaks, fires, and a train derailment of hazardous waste. Just saw a "special report" about crabs in the Bay and Delta destroying native fish and levees. Wild pigs are a real problem in Marin county. And here's the Sierra Club having a fit over ferrets and their "possible" impact should they escape and set up a feral population! I regret to say we've sent donations to them in the past. Do you suppose they would refund them? On a lighter note, we recently got a Basset puppy, which brings the canine portion of our menagerie back up to 5. Our female fuzz terror, Phoebe, has pretty well ruled supreme, harrassing and tormenting the dogs and chasing the cats. She tried to whip the puppy into submission, but got nowhere. The puppy chases HER from one end of the house to the other, eats her stash of dog food, and gives her big, slobbery kisses, which leave her wet from head to tail. If she manages to "escape" from the puppy, she circles back around and dances in front of her until she's noticed, then runs off again. They were playing hide and seek under the file cabinet when Phoebe grabbed the puppy by the lip. From the cries I thought the puppy was being killed! But when I detached Phoebe, she hadn't even broken the skin. So she's being extra careful with the "baby". Everyone else gets punctured. Hope this time next week finds Kodo back safe and sound with his family. Linda [Posted in FML issue 1951]