I just got off the phone with the health commisioner for Ashtabula County,
Ohio.  They have adopted new regulations concerning dogs, cats and ferrets.
 
Effective July 11, 1998 all of the above will require rabies vaccinations.
 
It seems that ferrets will not be treated as equal to dogs and cats in the
case of strays with unknown histories that have bitten or scratched an
individual.  The health commisioner told me that he feels ferrets are like
a wild animal and any strays that have bitten or scratched an individual
will in all likelyhood be euthanized and tested.  He also stated that any
quarentine for a ferret would be 30 days instead of the 10 required for dogs
and cats.  This is because he feels more studies have been done on dogs and
cats than on ferrets and that the shedding period is not known.
 
While he is more inclined to quarentine a stray dog or cat with an unknown
history it seems ferrets will not enjoy this luxury.  He did say that he
won't hesitate to kill dogs and cats but I got the impression that stray
ferrets are an automatic kill and test.
 
I tried to explain the extensive testing that ferrets have undergone and the
guidelines that have been set forth in the 1998 Compendium that was adopted
by the State of Ohio and he refused to listen.
 
Anybody out there who wishes to attempt to enlighten this individual is
welcomed to do so.
 
TLE, Linda, Sukie?  Can one of you send him the actual results of the
studies and the facts and figures concerning ferrets and rabies?
 
Remember anyone who contacts the health department should be polite and
courteous.  Insults and arguing will get us nowhere.
 
Contact phone numbers for the Ashtabula Health Dept
 
Phone: 440-576-6010
Fax: 440-576-5527
 
--
Bev Fox
North Coast Ferret Shelter
http://www.suite224.net/~ncfs1997/
[Posted in FML issue 2365]