News release regarding the legalization of ferrets
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE: June 2, 2007
CONTACT: Pat Wright 619-303-0645
California Ferret Organization Calls for Re-Evaluation of Ban on Domestic Ferrets in CA
SAN DIEGO - In an
open letter to Secretary of Agriculture A.G. Kawamura,
dated June 2nd, 2007, the non-profit organization, LegalizeFerrets.org, part
of the San Diego chapter of Ferrets Anonymous, requested a formal
re-evaluation of the statewide ban on domestic ferrets (Musteo putorius furo).
“The ban on ferrets as pets in California is has been justified on a single,
18-year-old study, for which no background information is available,” says
Pat Wright, founder of Ferrets Anonymous and LegalizeFerrets.org. “The study
is outdated and flawed. Since no one at the agriculture department or the
Department of Fish and Game can give us any scientific reasons why domestic
ferrets threaten agriculture or the environment, we feel the ban should be
overturned.”
Wright characterizes his open letter to the California Department of Food
and Agriculture (CDFA), the agency responsible for commissioning the 1989
study, as an invitation to examine the issue more closely, in the name of
responsible government.
Wright says despite the domestic ferret’s illegal status, thousands of
people keep ferrets as pets in California, and have done so for many years
with no discernible ill effects on agriculture or the environment. Wright
says the nation’s leading pet industry association reports 27% of ferret
supplies sold in the United States are sold in California.
“We want to glean the wisdom of all the government agencies that have
information on this issue and examine it closely. If ferrets do indeed pose
a threat to agriculture or the environment, those who choose to own these
domestic animals need to know, specifically, how and why. If ferrets do not,
in fact, pose a threat, we need to discuss the possibility of repealing an
outdated law.”
“All people should have the right to choose the domestic pet most suitable
for them. The ferret ban in California is not working, is not justifiable
and is hurting a lot of Californians and people who wish to come to
California,” says Wright.
Ferrets Anonymous (www.ferretsanon.com and LegalizeFerrets.org) is a
non-profit, educational organization that advocates freedom of pet choice,
animal welfare, scientific integrity and responsible government.
Photo Copyright © Zuzana Kukol & REXANO
www.REXANO.org