California lawmaker proposes ferret amnesty

Sunday December 15, 2002

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) A California lawmaker has an idea for a compromise between ferret owners and the state ferret amnesty.

Ferret lovers have been trying to legalize the critter for almost 10 years with no success. State agencies, fearful the animal could damage some of California's delicate ecosystems, have opposed its legalization.

``I've never seen a ferret, but we need to resolve this issue once and for all,'' Sen. Dede Alpert, D-Coronado. ``I realize when we have a $21 billion budget problem this doesn't seem terribly significant, but it's important to ferret owners, and it's an issue we should have final resolution on.''

The bill would make every pet ferret in the state legal if it's been neutered or spayed, registered, and vaccinated for rabies. The animal also would need to have a tracking microchip implanted, in case it escapes.

Importing ferrets would remain illegal until the University of California finishes a study on its environmental effects.

Currently, owning a ferret is a misdemeanor punishable by a $1,000 fine. The confiscated ferret is deported to a state where they are legal any other state except Hawaii.

The little carnivores are more than a foot long and weigh about five pounds.

``They're little clowns. Very intelligent. They always look for the best in life, which I think is their main appeal,'' said ferret owner Pat Wright, a Libertarian candidate for lieutenant governor in November whose ballot designation was ``ferret legalization coordinator.''

But the state and the Audubon Society's position in the past had been that ferrets can escape and threaten ground-nesting birds and small mammals.

``You're playing with fire when you bring in species from other areas. You can't predict ahead of time what's going to be a problem,'' said Ron Jurek, a Department of Fish and Game wildlife biologist.

Ferret owners say domesticated ferrets in the wild would be more likely to end up as a coyote's supper.

(Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)