Pamelyn Ferdin

Infobox actor

---

name = Pamelyn Ferdin
caption = Pamelyn Ferdin, circa 1972
birthname =
birthdate = Birth date and age|1959|2|04
birthplace = Los Angeles, California, USA
othername =
occupation = Actress, public relations director, activist
yearsactive = 1964-1982, 1999
spouse = Jerry Vlasak, MD, 1986-
awards =

Pamelyn Ferdin (born February 4, 1959) is an American animal rights activist and former child actress.

Acting career

Ferdin is best remembered for her roles as Felix Unger's daughter, Edna, on the TV sitcom "The Odd Couple", as well as in fantasy and science fiction movies and television series. These roles included Mary Janowski in the "Star Trek" episode "And the Children Shall Lead", Laura Gentry in "Space Academy", [cite web
url=http://www.70slivekidvid.com/spacea.htm
title=Space Academy
publisher=www.70slivekidvid.com
accessdate=2008-06-15] and Mary Constable in the supernatural thriller "Daughter of the Mind". Ferdin also provided the voice of Lucy van Pelt in three "Peanuts" cartoons, including the 1969 feature film "A Boy Named Charlie Brown" and the 1971 TV special "Play It Again, Charlie Brown".

Some of her early characters seemed to have special relationships with animals. Her character Amy in the 1971 film "The Beguiled" turned against the Clint Eastwood character after he killed her pet turtle. As the voice of Fern Arable in the movie "Charlotte's Web" in 1973, she saved the life of Wilbur the pig.

Ferdin's association with animals continued when she co-starred with the dog Lassie from 1972 to 1974. Her character, Lucy Baker, a deaf adolescent who initially had a pet wolf, loved and interacted with a variety of animals, including horses and a llama.

Activism

Ferdin left the acting world in the 1980s and became a registered nurse. She married surgeon and fellow animal-rights activist Jerry Vlasak in 1986. They have no children.Fact|date=June 2008

In 1996 she quit her job as director of public relations for the Center for Animal Care and Control, a nonprofit organization under contract to the New York City Department of Health. She claimed there was mismanagement in the agency.

On April 1, 2004, Ferdin and her husband appeared among the animal-rights activists interviewed for the PETA episode of the Showtime series "".

SHAC presidency

In August 2004, Ferdin accepted the presidency of Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty USA, according to statements filed under oath in U.S. District Court in New Jersey. The incumbent, Kevin Kjonaas, resigned after being indicted on charges of conspiracy and interstate stalking. [cite web
url=http://www.adl.org/learn/extremism_in_the_news/Other_Extremism/shac_convicted.htm?LEARN_Cat=Extremism&LEARN_SubCat=Extremism_in_the_News
title=Radical Animal Rights Group Convicted of Inciting Violence and Stalking
publisher=www.adl.org
accessdate=2008-06-15] When Kjonaas and six other SHAC activists were jailed in 2006, Ferdin vowed to continue the campaign. According to "Salon.com" she defines her current role as "a squeaky-clean representative for SHAC USA", but warns, " [P] eople, I think, are going to get hurt. There's going to be a lot of violence." [cite web|url=http://www.salon.com/mwt/feature/2006/02/07/thugs_puppies/index.html
title=Thugs for puppies | Salon Life|publisher=www.salon.com|accessdate=2008-06-15
last=Cook|first=Jon]

Arrests

On January 11, 2000, Ferdin faced up to six months in jail after being found guilty of possessing an elephant prod at an August 1999 protest at Pierce College in California. Circus Vargas had set up near Pierce College. Protesters demonstrated against alleged cruelty in circus training methods. Ferdin's arrest was based on a local ordinance that makes it a misdemeanor to carry a staff or rod greater than 1½ inches in diameter while engaging in protest. This law dates back to the civil rights era and was originally enacted to protect police from overly aggressive demonstrators. She received 30 days.

On June 22, 2006, Ferdin was sentenced to 90 days in jail for trespassing and "targeted demonstration" outside the home of an employee of the Los Angeles Department of Animal Services. She stated that the conviction "is not going to affect my speaking out and exposing the atrocities occurring at our six city shelters." [cite web|url=http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/entertainment&id=4297927
title=abc7.com: Former Child Actress Sentenced to Jail 6/22/06|publisher=abclocal.go.com
accessdate=2008-06-15]

In December 2006, Ferdin's group the Animal Defense League, Los Angeles (ADLLA) announced that it had been awarded $75,000 against the city of Los Angeles for an anti-SLAPP (Strategic lawsuit against public participation) motion. [cite web
url=http://www.lacitybeat.com/cms/story/detail/?id=4796&IssueNum=186
title=Los Angeles CityBeat - SLAPPing Back
publisher=www.lacitybeat.com|accessdate=2008-06-15|last=Milionis|first=Allison]

Filmography

*"Detention" (1999) TV Series (voice) .... Shelley Kelley
*"Heidi's Song" (1982) (voice) .... Klara
*"The Toolbox Murders" (1978) .... Laurie Ballard
*"Space Academy" (1977) TV Series .... Lt. Laura Gentry
*"Miles to Go Before I Sleep" (1975) (TV) .... Lisa
*"These Are the Days" (1974) TV Series (voice) .... Kathy Day
*"A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" (1974) (TV) .... Francie Nolan
*"Lassie" (1954) TV Series .... Lucy Baker (1973–1974)
*"Sigmund and the Sea Monsters" (1973) TV Series .... Peggy
*"Lassie: Joyous Sound" (1972) (TV)
*"The Paul Lynde Show" (1972) TV Series .... Sally Simms
*"The Delphi Bureau" (1972) (TV) .... Alice, the Boarder
*"Happy Birthday, Wanda June" (1971) .... Wanda June
*"The Forgotten Man" (1971) (TV) .... Sharon Hardy
*"Curiosity Shop" (1971) TV Series .... Pam
*"What's the Matter with Helen?" (1971) .... Kiddy M.C.
*"The Mephisto Waltz" (1971) .... Abby Clarkson
*"The Beguiled" (1971) .... Amelia
*"The Odd Couple" (1970) TV Series .... Edna Unger (1970–1971)
*"The Christine Jorgensen Story" (1970) .... Dolly as a Child
*"Smoke" (1970) (TV) .... Susie
*"Daughter of the Mind" (1969) (TV) .... Mary Constable
*"Blondie" (1968) TV Series .... Cookie
*"The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band" (1968) .... Laura Bower
*"The John Forsythe Show" (1965) TV Series .... Pamela

References

External links

*
* [http://www.thepetpress-la.com/articles/pamelaferdin.htm Ferdin's animal rights work]
* [http://www.animalscam.com/references/shac_ferdin1.cfm AnimalScam scans of court documents]