>Re: Ferrets in NY state
>So far as I know, ferrets are illegal in New York City, and a permit is
>required in the rest of the state.  (Some other counties and cities may
>not allow ferrets, so check locally.)  These permits are (still) valid for
>any number of "ferrets or fitch-ferrets," including breeding and selling.
>I agree that most likely the state just wants to get its $10, but actually,
>they may be helping the ferret community without intending to.  In our
>case, for instance, once we decided we wanted a ferret, it was another
>three weeks before we received our permit.  During those three weeks, we
>built our cage and learned quite a bit more about the fuzzies than the
>Barron's book we first looked in had told us.  The waiting period itself
>may help avoid some of the impulse purchases that end up in rescue shelters.
 
        Yes, I had my ferret in Nassau county NY which was just outside Queens
which is the last county of the city.  I'm not sure if they are allowed in
Queens, Staten Island, or the Bronx but I knew they were allowed in Nassau and
Suffolk counties.
        In my case, I got my first ferret, Missey, on July 5, 1986 when ferret
licenses were apparently not necessary in my county. No one ever mentioned a
ferret license!?  Soon after that they were required.  I purchased my last one,
Critter, on December 5, 1991 and I was told that I needed a license.  However,
they sold him to me after merely filling out the application and giving them
$10 not after I got a license which came a few weeks later.
        I'm curious what other state's licenses are like.  Are most of them like
New York's?  Now since I'm in Tennessee I suppose I should find out what their
requirements are.
        Also, what ARE "fitch-ferrets"?!
 
                                                -Clint Mahoney
 
 
[Posted in FML issue 0738]