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. Legalize Ferrets.org, headed by Pat Wright (San Diego) has presented a Citizen Petition requesting that ferrets be given parity with dog and cat owners in the state. However, the State's Fish and Wildlife commission continues the 2-decades old stance that ferrets are wild animals and therefore cannot be kept as pets in CA. Ferrets are domestic animals, recognized by the US federal government and pretty much all academic and authoritative sources. The process of legalizing ferrets in the Golden State continues. Domestic ferrets are legal in 48 states. They are restricted in California, Hawaii, and a few individual US cities, including Washington, D.C., and New York City.
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." |
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