Ferret Owners Unfairly Charged?

Ferret Owners Unfairly Charged?

AUCKLAND, New Zealand (Wireless Flash) – It’s not “ferret” all, says a New Zealand-based ferret advocate who’s protesting the recent bust of several ferret owners. Although ferrets are illegal in many parts of New Zealand, Barbara Choat of Auckland’s Ferret Paws Inc. thinks it’s wrong that the owners are facing prison time and a $50,000 fine for walking their ferrets in public. She thinks the person behind the “ferret ban,” New Zealand’s Minister of Conservation Sandra Lee, is trying to weasel out ferrets because she’s a bird lover and ferrets have been known to eat birds. However, Choat says the ferrets in question are tame, and they’re being framed because pet ferrets wouldn’t dream of harming local wildlife. She claims the birds’ real enemies are hungry dogs and cats – but doubts Lee would ever attempt a ban on them because they’re such popular pets.

Thu 05-23-02