Ferrets remain outlaws in New York City
New York and most other states allow ferrets to be kept as pets, but New York City remains a ferret-free zone as a result of a decision on Tuesday by the city’s board of health.
The board refused to repeal New York City’s 16-year ban on pet ferrets when half the board members abstained and two members voted to keep the ban, the New York Times reports.
The measure would have allowed the animals to be kept as pets, as long they received rabies shots, were kept on leashes outdoors and were sterilized to reduce aggressiveness.
“From the start, things did not bode well for the ferrets,” the Times said in its coverage of the meeting.
“There were questions, in concerned tones, about the ‘unique skeletal structure’ that allows the creatures ‘to squeeze through very small crevices.’ The poor track record of ferret-infant relations—bites, injuries, occasional reports of a death—kept cropping up.”
Ferret supporters said the concerns were exaggerated.
