BOERNE, Texas — Army veteran Billy Morvent starts each day with a walk around his home in Boerne. His emotional support pet, a two-year-old ferret named Aine, is always just a few steps behind him.

He's done this with his two ferrets for years. 

"Just to give them some outside time, so they can stretch their legs and get some fresh air," Morvent said.

He uses a squeaky toy to keep Aine close, but on Monday the ferret was spooked by the sound of Morvent's neighbor's truck.

Morvent said she ran through his chain-link fence and into his neighbor's yard.
"She took off trying to find a place to hide," Morvent said.

Morvent immediately hopped the fence to get to Aine before another animal could. 
"I don't have children, so these are my children," Morvent said. "Of course with the hawks, I'm afraid they'll come down and get her if I'm not close."

He said he was off the man's property in minutes. Two hours later, a police officer hits him with a Criminal Trespass warning.

"For retrieving my pet," Morvent said. "It made me mad, very mad."

Morvent was there without his neighbor's consent. 

Criminal Trespass is defined in Texas Penal Code 30.05 as a person entering or remaining in or on the property of another, without the effective consent of the owner.  A criminal trespass charge in Texas is typically a Class B misdemeanor, punishable by up to 180 days in jail and up to a $2,000 fine.

We attempted to speak with the neighbor who called police, but he wasn't home. We also reached out to the Boerne Police Department and were told that no one was available for an interview. 

Morvent said the officer told him if this happens again, he needs to contact police before he makes a move.

"They said I'd go to jail next time," Morvent said. "It's difficult to bring them out now."
Morvent said calling police would take more time than it would take to bring his pet home safe.
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Boerne Animal Care Services said all pets, including ferrets, don't need to be on a leash or fenced in. They just to stay on their owners' property to avoid causing any trouble. 

Source: 
https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/emotional-support-ferret-on-the-run-lands-boerne-owner-in-trouble/273-8c568ae9-24d8-4730-b3bf-ae14e9f57cfd
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Tuesday, April 2 marks the 2019 date of National Ferret Day in the United States.

National Ferret Day has become a day to promote and to educate the public about the European ferret, the domestic ferret that is owned as a house pet by millions households worldwide, including the US.  Online Ferret Community allFerrets, welcomes all ferret enthusiasts to participate in ferret-related activities.     

Celebrated for at least two decades prior to its gaining “official” status in the United States, National Ferret Day was promoted by ferret owner Carol Roche (New York) working with ferret organizations to achieve official recognition of April 2nd, through the Chase Calendar Days in 2014. 

The origins of a National Ferret Day are not entirely clear.  The day was not listed in the federal records as of 1994.   However, National Ferret Day has been on the US calendar of the National Special Events Registry [http://www.celebratetoday.com/register.html] listing special holidays, since 1995 according to John Kremer, president of Open Horizons, the company that operates the registry.

“International Ferret Day”

The US is not the only country that observes a National Ferret Day-- nor is April 2 the only calendar date reserved for its observance.  Reference to its occurrence in February can be found on the Internet, and May 5th has been recognized for National Ferret Day in the United Kingdom since 2007, established by the Ferret Education and Research Trust (FERT). 

Regardless of its origins, National Ferret Day can be celebrated in any way you choose to recognize the Ferret as a wonderful pet and member of the household.
 
How will you celebrate National Ferret Day this year?

• Spend time with your ferrets.
• Trim their nails and do a “flea” check.  
• Clean the ferret cage or ferret room!
• Volunteer at a local Ferret Shelter.
• Schedule the next ferret annual veterinary checkup
• Donate to a ferret cause: time, needed items, or $$.
• Read and learn more about ferrets at the all new allFerrets website! 

References:
https://www.worldnationaldays.com/national-ferret-day-2019/
https://whenisholiday.com/america/when-is-national-ferret-day-2019.html
 
Recognizing the Black footed ferret
https://medium.com/wild-without-end/happy-national-ferret-day-b96ab768ac4f

March 2018 -- Washington, DC has revised its statutory position on ferrets.  Effective as of March 30, 2018,  DC Code 8-1808 now lists ferrets among the classes of EXEMPTED animals from those that are prohibited in the District, thereby making ferrets legal to own in the District.  The Code reads:  

• (j)(1) Except as provided in this subsection, a person shall not import into the District, possess, display, offer for sale, trade, barter, exchange, or adoption, or give as a household pet, any living member of the animal kingdom, including those born or raised in captivity, except the following: ​
• (A) Domestic dogs, excluding hybrids with wolves, coyotes, or jackals;   (B) Domestic cats, excluding hybrids with ocelots or margays; (C) Domesticated rodents and rabbits; (D) Captive-bred species of common cage birds; (E) Non-venomous snakes, fish, and turtles, traditionally kept in the home for pleasure rather than for commercial purposes; (F) Ferrets;  and (G) Racing pigeons, when kept in compliance with permit requirements. ​https://code.dccouncil.us/dc/council/code/sections/8-1808.html 
• This action reverses a 36 year prohibition of ferrets, which were added to the DC code of "prohibited species" in 1982.  At the time the reason given was the lack of an approved  Rabies vaccine for ferrets.  The first Rabies vaccine for ferrets, IMRAB-3, was licensed by the United States Department of Agriculture in 1990.  However, the DC council refused to act to remove ferrets from the banned list until recently. 

October 20, 2017 - California ferret enthusiasts are exploring Sanctuary Status for their beloved pets at the city level.  On September 26, 2017, residents of La Mesa, California (in San Diego County) spoke before the City Council to request sanctuary status and a "safe harbor" for there furry friends.  Council Members were duly impressed and are in teh process of exploring the status change.  Similar efforts are being pursued in Culver City as well.  

On October 13, the international online journal, Animals published an article by Lepe, et al, entitled Environmental Impact and Relative Invasiveness of Free-Roaming Domestic Carnivores—a North American Survey of Governmental Agencies http://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/7/10/78

"This the first study to compare the relative impact of free-roaming dogs, cats, and ferrets. It shows differences in how these three animals react to novel environments. For the US and Canada, free roaming cats and dogs meet the definition of an “invasive” species, whereas ferrets do not. However, the way we as a society view these animals, our attitudes and perceptions, may influence how governmental agencies manage and control them."