A couple of days ago, Shanon wrote to ask what made Marshall Farms (MF)
ferrets so special in regards to Massachusetts rabies laws.
 
What makes MF ferrets "special" is that the MA Depts of Public Health and of
Fish and Wildlife (F&W) see these animals as having a certifiable "history
of confinement" (isolation from other animals) from birth through shipment
to the pet stores.  In the official view, isolation means that there has
been no exposure to rabies, and this is taken into account if a MF kit nips
a pet store customer.
 
The reason that this protection does not extend to other breeders' ferrets
is that these breeders' practices are unknown to the State.  Are the
breeding animals and the kits kept separate from other animals?  Are they
kept outdside, where exposure to rabid raccoons and bats is possible?  What
happens to the animals from the time they leave the breeder until they get
to the pet store?  These questions go unanswered because there is no
mechanism to check breeding operations, and to my knowledge, there are no
regulations in MA that address these questions.
 
It is important to note that this protection does not extend to MF ferrets
after they  have been purchased, either.
 
When ferrets were legalized earlier this year, the law stated that kits sold
had to be vaccinated for distemper and rabies.  This meant that kits had to
be at least 12 weeks of age (the earliest age recognized in MA for rabies
shots to be effective) to be sold.  Pet stores had to warehouse the MF kits
(which are shipped at 7 weeks of age) and provide their rabies shots before
they could be displayed.
 
Last month, the law was amended to allow pet stores to sell kits without
their shots.  Even before then, there were tragedies in which kits nipped
someone and the State took ALL of the ferrets housed with the kit and killed
and tested all of them.  There were times when F&W stepped in, said no to
Public Health, and saved the lives of ferrets.  These ferrets were from MF
and were not considered rabies risks.
 
The Mass F&W is trying desperately to resolve this problem so that fewer
ferrets must be sacrificed by order of Public Health.  F&W drafted voluntary
guidelines for pet stores: A) No more than five ferrets should be housed
together.  This means that if one ferret bites someone, the kill-and-test
does not extend to all of the ferrets in the store -- just the five ferrets
housed together.  B) Stock should be purchased from a place like MF that can
prove that they are "clean" of any rabies virus.  C) Ferrets should be
housed in a way that the public can't stick fingers in the cages, and also
have the staff use "animal handling gloves" and have one store clerk in
charge of "showing" a particular ferret to a prospective client (so much for
public image).
 
These are just a stopgap measures, and they are prejudicial to local
breeders.  Further, Massachusetts presently has NO QUARANTINE LAW that would
protect ANY ferret accused of biting from kill-and-test.  The Massachusetts
Ferret Friends (MaFF) is working for a quarantine law like New Hampshire's,
and pushing for regulations allowing a reasonable risk assessment of pet
store kits and other ferrets accused of biting.
 
Quarantine would save an animal with current rabies vaccination; this is of
special importance to ferret owners.  Non-MF pet store kits without rabies
shots would still be vulnerable, but if risk assessment procedures were in
place that took into account the animal's history of confinement, those
ferrets would be protected as well.
 
Obviously, proving a history of confinement to the satisfaction of F&W and
Public Health will be very difficult for breeders and pet stores.
 
Owners, breeders, pet stores, and ferret organizations nationwide must
start--or continue--their efforts to work together in securing quarantine
and risk assessment laws, state by state.  The CDC shedding studies will
help but, judging from history, they will not be sufficient in themselves to
change the minds of public health officials.
 
Numbers are strength.  We learned that in Massachusetts last year, and those
of you who recently won legalization and quarantines in your states know
this.  If we band together, our efforts will turn the heads of the CDC,
public health agencies, the Suzanne Jenkins group and once and for all put a
stop to the senseless killing of our ferrets.
 
MaFF would like to hear from breeders, owners, pet stores, and others in
Massachusetts who want to help with the effort here.  We would also like to
hear from people in other states with quarantine laws about what you did and
how your law reads.
 
Shanon, hope this answered your question ;)
 
Sharon Burbine, Mass Ferret Friends Group
   e-mail:  [log in to unmask], MA Hotline:  (617) 224-1098
[Posted in FML issue 1667]