Yesterday afternoon I received a phone call from an individual who had
found a ferret wandering in her back yard.  When she picked the ferret up
he bit her.
 
Before contacting me however she called the local health department looking
for advise on where to take the ferret since she wasn't equipped to keep it.
 
Our area of Ohio is currently under a rabies epidemic status and raccoons
and skunks are routinely being found and testing positive for the raccoon
strain of rabies throughout Ashtabula County.
 
The above represents the worst possible scenario for a found ferret with no
known vaccination history.
 
Fortunately the person who found the ferret is an animal lover and didn't
want to see the ferret killed.  And after a very polite phone conversation
between myself and the director of the local health department and after I
explained the results of the various shedding studies etc.  he was willing
to allow the 10 day quarantine in lieu of killing and testing.
 
I now have in my possession a very healthy looking sable point male that's
about a year old.  Wherever he came from he hadn't been wandering for much
time.  He has a beautiful soft coat and is pleasantly plump.
 
He will be here for 10 days then go to the vet for a check-up, rabies shot
and filing of the required paperwork to clear him with the health
department.  He will have to be brought up to date with distemper
inoculations after that.
 
He will be available for adoption in the very near future.  He also needs a
name.  Any suggestions?
 
--
Bev Fox
North Coast Ferret Shelter
Ashtabula County, Ohio
http://www.suite224.net/~ncfs1997/
Founding Member - IFWS
[Posted in FML issue 2599]