Just giving a bit of info on NJ Fish, Game and Wildlife.

In NJ ferrets have their permits through this department just as
dogs and cats have licenses through another. The reason ferrets are
considered "exotic" is because the controls for zoonotic diseases
tightened up after the licensing laws for dogs and cats and there is
concern that some ferret diseases like ADV might pose a risk to some
of the state's wildlife such as mink and martens which we have in too
small numbers, and fishers who appear here on a rare basis. The hope is
that the permit process can cut down on dumped ferrets, and I think all
will agree that is a good thing, to decrease any chance of a zoonotic
risk. When domestic ferrets get loose they usually die quite rapidly
but as with all domestic pets and more exotic pets than our domestic
ferrets there is some risk (and the controls are certainly stricter
for some of the ones listed as exotics that are not domesticated).

Shelters and breeders of ferrets in NJ not only have to have their own
permits and inspections but they also must provide temporary permits
to the people who get ferrets from them. Those people need to then get
their own hobbyist permits if they have not yet done so. The hobbyist
permits are renewed once a year for a 10 dollar fee. It is an easy,
painless process. We've had our series for ages.

I have never -- repeat never -- seen that department behave in any way
except to HELP ferrets and ferret people. I have actually see the HEAD
of it volunteer to testify ion behalf of ferrets and ferret owners in
a community when a local official was trying to cause problems for
a young man who had a ferret. The town official was insisting that
ferrets are wild animals, that they are dangerous, and that they pose
a rabies risk and was taking the young man who refused to surrender
his ferret to court. Both that FG&W official AND a veterinary
epidemiologist from our state health department were happy to be
witnesses in the man's defense. That town dropped the charges once it
saw who was on the list of witnesses for the defense and it stopped
causing problems for ferret people.

I have also seen the NJ State Dept. of Fish, Game and Wildlife go after
a pet store which had coccidia in the ferrets being sold and refused to
treat. The reason I know that is because we had a ferret from there and
by state law they were obligated to pay for our ferret's treatment and
to treat their own. They refused and Steve I were mostly worried about
the pets there and the households that would get diseased animals
without knowing it. Our vet was happy to say what the ferret had in
a letter from the animal hospital to NJ FG&W sand I think there was
another department they asked to also receive it. NJ FG&W coordinated
with the branch that licenses cats and dogs since they can also get
coccidia and animals were tested. A range of pets in that store had
coccidia. Then they banned sale of all mammals that could get coccidia
from that one store while requiring treatment and proof of treatment,
and they tested the OTHER stores the chain had (I think there were 3
in-state.) The other stores in the chain were clean, so after treatment
and re-testing all mammals were required to be transferred to the other
stores in the chain (not killed) and that store was banned from selling
any mammals at all for 6 months.

As I recall that department also provided testimony for an inspected
ferret shelter with permit when that was needed in one town.

This branch also protects wildlife in our state and has been doing a
very good job at that. I've been in touch with them several things over
the years and when able Steve and I have given donations. They really
do a marvelous job and they avoid needless deaths, instead relocating
animals when permits can not be given due to inspection failure or
long-term failure to pay the fee.

Would I rather that ferrets were not classified as exotics in NJ? Sure,
I'd rather see them have the same licenses as dogs and cats, but I also
know that until the wild mink and marten population bounce back enough
there really is not a chance of that happening, and that the approach
being used has consistently been ferret-friendly just as dog and cat
licensing in NJ is.

I also know that the department is willing to fight towns which read
into the exotic classification to think that ferrets are bad when they
are not so the exotic classification does no harm.

I know the money -- which is very little -- goes to do good things.

AND I know that we would likely have more of a dumping problem than we
do in NJ without the permit system and that helps ferrets and shelters
while reducing the chances of animal hoarding and all of the horrible
abuses that has.

Yes, in NJ ferret hobbyists need to spend $10 and about 2 minutes doing
paperwork each year for permits, and, yes, our shelters and breeders
need to spend $100 and be inspected BUT that has kept down the
hoarding, kept down the dumping, reduced other abuses (like those who
would feed them to large snakes), and provided official state advocates
for domestic ferrets who even go to court for them. So, I'd say we are
pretty fortunate here in NJ to have something that works quite well.

Sukie (not a vet)

Recommended ferret health links:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/
http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html
http://www.miamiferret.org/
http://www.ferrethealth.msu.edu/
http://www.ferretcongress.org/
http://www.trifl.org/index.shtml
http://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html
all ferret topics:
http://listserv.ferretmailinglist.org/archives/ferret-search.html

[Posted in FML 6470]