In nearly three decades of ferret activism, Pat Wright has gone to jail, run for political office, lobbied legislators, collected thousands of signatures and battled decades of rejection and apathy.
During a recent call, a California Department of Agriculture spokesperson referred ferret questions to the Department of Fish and Wildlife. That department did not respond to requests for comment.
“He was the most intelligent and personable ferret I ever had,” Wright said. “He was like a little dog, a little Lassie.”In 1992, Wright ran for state Assembly because the incumbent, Democrat Mike Gotch, had ignored his request to sponsor a ferret legalization bill. Wright’s aim was not necessarily to win but to pull enough votes from Gotch to take him down in a four-person race.
“He was everywhere and very industrious, to say the least,” said Phillips, 75. “Meetings were in Santa Barbara one month and Sacramento two months later, and he was there with stacks of data and a go-getter attitude.”His first brush with the law came in 1997, when he was convicted of misdemeanor ferret possession and sentenced to 160 hours of community service and a $100 fine. Someone in the neighborhood turned him in.
“The real reason I am running for Lt. Governor is to fight the ... pervasive, sentiment expressed by the judge in my case,” he wrote. “It is an attitude that has lead to many horrific tragedies throughout history. It says ‘don’t question authority.’ It says ‘just follow your orders.’ It’s an attitude that’s the antithesis to freedom and responsibility.”Schwarzenegger, who became governor in 2003, seemed like he might be someone to appreciate ferrets.