Thursday, April 2, 2020 is 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 owned as a house pet by millions of 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 United States is not alone in observance of 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?
References: https://www.wheniscalendars.com/when-is-national-ferret-day/ https://www.worldnationaldays.com/national-ferret-day-2019/ 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:
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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