Bob,

I believe if you want to call yourself a sanctuary, then you would get
a non-profit status, or at least let it be well known that you are one.
That being said, I don't think you technically have to do anything like
that, unless you WANT to :)

I guess that's one of the concerns with people worrying about how many
ferrets people have, and them calling themselves a sanctuary just to
get more ferrets, or just to have it be accepted that they have a
certain number of ferrets. I guess, maybe it depends on what your
status is - do you advertise? Do you accept ferrets from people no
matter what, and promise to be a sanctuary in that you will take them
and pay for medical care and not surrender them to another rescue or
agency?

I think people are confused a bit by the "no adoption" policy. A
sanctuary is a "safe place". If a sanctuary finds someone who wants to
take care of the animal, and are deemed a safe place and great owner,
there is no "sanctuary law" preventing this from happening as long as
people are made aware that sometimes, adoptions may happen. The whole
point of a sanctuary in people's minds is that the animals will no
longer be shuffled around from rescue to rescue or euthanized due to
some medical condition, age, or behavioural problem.

All in all - if you own a lot of rescued ferrets, no, it just makes you
a good person, not a sanctuary IMO.

Laryssa

[Posted in FML 5736]