European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 13, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Fighting Lor ferrets owners go to court to save their pets by Michael Schneider the associated press hey re furry. They re Friendly. They make Good pets. But for centuries they be been maligned As ornery and Bloodthirsty Little weasels. The lean Sharp toothed ferret has been accused of everything from spreading rabies to destroying crops and killing livestock. They be been reviled As wild animals and mistaken for the malicious polecat. But a lot of folks like them. We estimate there Are 8 million ferrets that Are family pets in the United states says Brad Stone a spokesman for american ferret association. They re an Ideal pet for Many people because they re self reliant and Friendly. Like cats they can take care of themselves. Like dogs they re very  although ferrets Are gaining popularity As household pets in the United states they still face barriers to gaining social acceptance. Many states and cities still prohibit people keeping them As pets. And ferret owners say they Are constantly besieged by ignorant passers by whenever they walk their pets. Ferrets have gotten a bad reputation because of their relation to the weasel family says or. Freddie Ann Hoffman a paediatric oncologist from Potomac md., who owns two ferrets. They Are sometimes mistaken for the polecat a wild animal that kills its prey. Ferrets Are also incorrectly believed to be carriers of rabies. There be been Only 14 cases of ferrets having rabies since the cd centers for disease control and prevention began reporting it Hoffman says. There s an average of 150 Rabid dogs per year. And never has a human contracted rabies through a ferret. It s questionable whether ferrets can even transmit  these Little carnivores resemble Mink weasels skunks and otters and their closest relative is the european polecat. They have been used As pets since the fourth Century b.c., 300 to 500 years before the House cat. With 1,500 members in 48 states the Frederick  ferret association is trying to eliminate As much ferret saturday november 13,1993 Judith Sanders Flint hum md., cuddles with her pet ferret. Discrimination As possible ferrets Are banned As pats in California Hawaii Michigan and Massachusetts. Recently ferret owners in new York announced they were seeking an Federal injunction to Stop a crackdown on ferrets. This follows the association s recent court victories in Utah and new Hampshire where residents were granted the right to have ferrets As pets. Legislation is pending in Michigan and Massachusetts to repeal restrictions against ferrets and lawsuits Are pending in California and Washington . Anti ferret legislation typically is written to prohibit the use of wild animals As pets says Randy Sellers who works in St. Paul minn., As the group s legislative and Legal affairs director. The legislation then classifies ferrets As wild animals. Ferret supporters Are watching the California lawsuit with particular interest because the state has been a hotbed for ferret restrictions. In 1987, California s department of fish and game stopped giving permits for ferrets thereby prohibiting their use As pets. Previously ferrets could be owned if one had a permit. Then in 1988, California s department of health services issued a report that said ferrets were Bloodthirsty and tended to kill animals much larger than themselves. The report also included inaccurate statistics on the number of ferret bites reported in the state says Joe Koury a san Francisco attorney who is the trial counsel in the lawsuit ferret owners enjoy showing off their pets. Several ferret shows Are held throughout the year across the country but the biggest and Best known is held every february in Frederick. These expos include ferret show rings competitions and even stupid ferret tricks. But the most popular activity is the ferret costume Competition. Sometimes the ferrets and owners Wear Matching costumes Stone says. Despite the problems and hassles they encounter ferret owners vow to continue fighting to keep the pets they love. There s a Solidarity among ferret owners that is pretty rare in this society Stone says. We like to get together and extend a big Paw of  on the family am concerned about the Impact of television in our Home. How can we control it without resorting to dictatorial rules and regulations it seems to me we have three objectives As parents. First we want to Monitor the Quality of the programs our children watch. Second we want to regulate the Quantity of television they see. Even Good programs May have an undesirable influence on the rest of the children s activities if they spend too much time in front of the tube. Third we should include the entire family in establishing a to policy if possible. I read about a system recently that is very effective in accomplishing these purposes. First it was suggested that parents sit Down with the children and select a list of approved programs that Are appropriate for each age level. Then Type that list or at least write it clearly and enclose it in Clear plastic so it can be referred to throughout the week. Second either buy or make a Roll of tickets. Issue each child 10 tickets per week and let him use them to buy the privilege of watching the programs on the approved list. When his tickets Are gone then his television viewing is Over for the week. This teaches him to choose carefully what he most wants to spend his time on. Ten hours per week is perhaps a Good target to shoot for. I m told that the average preschool child watches up to 54 hours of television per week. That s far too much even for an elementary child. This system can be modified to fit individual Home situations or circumstances if there s a special program that All the children want to see you can Issue More tickets. You might also give extra tickets As rewards for achievements or some other laudable behaviour. The real test will occur when parents reveal whether or not they have the courage to put themselves on that same limited system too. We often need the same regulations in our viewing habits. What does a woman want most from her husband in the fifth sixth and seventh decades of her life she wants and needs the same Assurance of love and respect that she desired when she was younger. This is the beaut Jaf committed love that which is avowed to be a lifelong Devotion. A Man and woman can face the Good and bad times together As friends and allies. By contrast the Youthful advocate of sexual Freedom and non Inoh ement will enter the latter years of life with nothing to remember but a series of exploitations and broken relationships. Committed love is expensive i admit but it yields the highest returns on the investment at maturity. Or. James c. Dobson is president of focus on a family a organization dedicated Toporas ring the Horn. Correspondence should to Lent to him at focus on the family. . To 444, Colorado Springs Colo. 60903. Thi9tais and stiff 5 15