He would have been dead by the time you read this.  Animal Control said
that the ferret was "a bit nippy", could not be reformed, and therefore
would be put down this morning.  Our local animal control (in an area
where ferrets are totally legal) has a policy of putting down any ferret
taken in that shows ANY teeth to anyone. When our ferret shelter got wind
that Animal Control had 2 ferrets through an anonymous tip, we called and
asked if we could "foster" them until they were adopted, which is the
usual policy. We were informed that we could take 1, but the other one
would be destroyed, unless the owner claimed it by 7:00 P.M. last night.
One of our members immediately called and asked if they had "her" ferret.
The member was able to save a 4 month old baby male from the gas
chamber.  He was "nippy" because he was young and playful!!
 
Our local Humane society is great and turns over all ferrets to our club
without passing any judgment on their "quality" as a pet.  Animal
control, on the other hand, will only allow us to foster adopt "suitable"
ferrets until a permanent home can be found.  We have tried to get Animal
Control to change their policy.  Any ideas?  Our club does not believe in
putting down an animal unless they are terminally ill and in pain or an
extremely bad temperment (we have been able to reform all of the "mean"
fuzzy critters we have received for the past 10 years.) How can we get
them to change their policy?
 
[Posted in FML issue 0903]