Ferrets - If you know someone who has them, or you have one yourself, or even if you just enjoy watching cute videos of ferrets online, you probably already know how cute, loving, and playful companions they can be! They deserve to be in good homes and given lots and love and care! 

But unfortunately, that's not possible right now for ferret owners in California. In fact, they're illegal to kept as domestic pets in California, and if an authority figure finds you guilty of owning any pet ferrets, the ferrets are immediately seized and often times even euthanized.

If you're like me and so many others who care so much about animals, you might have one in your life that you hold close to your heart, it doesn't matter if it's a ferret, a dog, a bird or whatever else. You just know that you wouldn't give them up for the world. I think that it's an absolute tragedy that anyone ever has to be forcefully separated from their own pets, possibly permanently. Euthanizing an animal for simply existing in a certain place is, in every sense of the word, animal cruelty. This is an injustice against innocent people who simply want to be allowed to love and connect with their pets. As citizens of a free country, it is our collective responsibility to make the voice of the people heard, and we the people say it's time for a change.

The most realistic way to enact legalization is to work with the interests of the state. Some conditions and regulations that will satisfy both the people and the state should be considered, as follows:

1. Ferrets adopted or sold as pets must be spayed or neutered
2. Mandatory vaccinations for rabies and distemper before a certain age
3. Require medical documentation and a certain frequency of veterinary check-ups
4. Prohibit cross-breeding between domestic ferrets and other species of Mustelidae such as black-footed ferrets or polecats
5. Prohibit the release of ferrets into the wild

Since the last time the laws prohibiting domestic ownership of ferrets have been reviewed over 15 years ago, concerns voiced by the CDFG and other California state departments have been addressed, and the course of action suggested above will greatly minimize any remaining risks. One such concern is that escaped domestic ferrets have the potential to negatively impact native ecosystems[6] - But it would take a large, well established feral population of ferrets to affect the native ecosystem in any noticeable way. While ferrets are naturally capable of surviving in the wild, preying on small animals, ferrets are supposed to be spayed or neutered before they are capable of reproducing, so there would be no way to reasonably sustain a population on their own. There's no convincing reason to believe that ferrets could establish any feral populations to act as an invasive species[3]. Some officials have also pointed out the potential threat they pose to public health and safety. 15 years ago, when there were no regulated vaccinations approved for ferrets, this may have been a valid concern. Now, there are well established treatments for ferret health and safety, as well as an FDA/USDA tested and approved rabies vaccination. Additionally, the frequency of reported ferret bites is no greater than that of cats or dogs[3] and is considered to be an acceptable risk, outweighed by the affection and companionship that a ferret provides. 

 Anything you can do to support our cause helps, even just sharing this petition with a friend. You can also post about this on social media to boost awareness. You could contact your local animal shelter and talk to them about advocating for the cause; Find a ferret advocacy group in your area and share this with them; Anything you can do will take us another step closer to change.

Thank you for taking this all into consideration and adding your signature to this petition.

Sources:

[1] US. CDFG. FGC DIV 3.CH 2.ARTICLE 1. Generally [2116 - 2127]. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Web. 18 Sept. 2016. (2118.b)

[2] Sleepy ferrets. Digital image. Notapocalyptic.tumblr.com. N.p., 09 Sept. 2014. Web. 18 Sept. 2016.

[3] Graening, G. O. Survey of Impacts of Ferrets. G. O. Biological Sciences, CSUS., 2010. 1-177. Web. 16 Sept. 2016.

[4] Herman, David L. Tech. UC Davis. Davis: UC Davis, 2000. 37-53. Web. 17 Sept. 2016.

[5] USA. National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians. NASPHV. By Catherine M. Brown, Sally Slavinski, Paul Ettestad, Tom J. Sidwa, and Faye E. Sorhage. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Sept. 2016.

[6] http://www.dfg.ca.gov/wildlife/nongame/nuis_exo/ferret/ferret_issues_4.html