Greg Roth wrote:
>I might be contemplating a move to Minnesota soon and I need to get
>more information on the ferret laws up there.  I have heard that Minniapolis
>considereds ferrets "wild animals"... but, this law has been contested twice
>and over-ruled in the case of ferrets, but still illegal by law.
>In St. Paul I hear that ferrets just need a permit costing $10 per ferret...
>Does anyone really know?
 
Greg - there's more to the Twin Cities than Minneapolis and St. Paul! :)
I moved to the suburbs from Minneapolis to protect my little ones.  I
looked through past FMLs and used the info I found through my own research
to come up with this compilation:
 
Minneapolis: Uses a statute that forbids the keeping of "wild or wild
  by nature" animals in the city - this also includes reptiles, wolves
  wolf-dog mixes, etc.  If asked, they will say that they don't accept
  the effectiveness of the rabies vaccine for ferrets because no US
  studies have been done, and that's the reason for not allowing ferrets.
  The arguments about shedding times, etc. for cows and horses might not
  work because from my memory of Mpls. statutes, these animals may be
  transported through the city but not kept there.  Ferrets that bite
  will be confiscated and killed; this has been successfully challenged
  twice, but only after the ferrets were killed.  I used to live there;
  I'd consider the place hostile and recommend that you don't move there.
 
St. Paul:  One-time $25 fee per household for exotic animal permit.
  Requires current health certificates, on-site inspection (with re-
  inspections every other year), and written consent from 70% of
  neighbors within 150 feet.  This is being challenged in court.
  Ferrets who bite will not be killed; quarantine not needed if ferret
  is healthy, has a history of confinement, and has not been vaccinated
  with live rabies vaccine.
 
Hopkins and Golden Valley, MN (Mpls-area suburbs): Possibly ferret-
  hostile; you get various answers on legality when you call.  I'd
  avoid.
 
Bloomington and Burnsville, MN (Mpls-area): Had bans on ferrets that
  were supposed to be lifted by end of 1994; no idea if this happened.
 
Mpls-area suburbs where ferrets aren't illegal: Edina and St. Louis Park
  (this suburb, if your ferret bites, will have a vet check the animal to
  see if it is healthy; if so, it will be sent home).  Very incomplete
  list - many more suburbs exist, and I only called ones in the area I
  wanted to live in.
 
St. Paul-area suburbs where ferrets aren't illegal: Roseville, Stillwater,
  Lake Elmo, Afton, Mahtomedi, White Bear Lake, New Brighton, Woodbury.
 
Hope this helps you and anyone else on the list that wants to move to
the Twin Cities.  The ferret group in the area, DEFFBAM (Domestic
European Ferret Fanciers & Breeders Association of Minnesota) does
a LOT to try to educate people, cities, Animal Control, etc. about
ferrets.  Write them at: P.O. Box 11855, St. Paul, MN 55111.
 
BTW, I'm moving to the suburbs of Chicago soon - anyone have any ideas
about who I should write in Minneapolis to tell them that I moved out
of their city SOLELY because of Animal Control's policies?  Chamber of
Commerce, maybe?
 
Happy ferreting from a relieved St. Louis Park resident,
Denise, plus Rocko and Randall (11-month-old sable males who like it
  that Mom takes them on walks in this city, unlike before)
 
 /\\    ____  ,^-o,  Denise Voskuil - [log in to unmask]
   ``-,'    `-';~~   Brain: "Are you pondering what I'm pondering?"
     .',-'~`../'     Pinky: "I think so, Brain, but if we didn't have
      `~~    `~~       ears we'd look like weasels." ("Animaniacs")
"Ferrets are kittens with leather jackets and no fear!" - John Reed
[Posted in FML issue 1135]