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Ferret Politics in North Carolina

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Are ferrets legal in North Carolina?

North Carolina does not have any state-wide policies on ferrets. Individual counties set policies. That said, however, ferrets are legal in nearly all counties in North Carolina. They are commonly for sale in pet shops, and supplies are generally fairly easy to get. It does not seem likely that ferrets will suddenly become illegal in NC, especially given the State Vet's recent recognition of the 1998 Rabies Compendium (see below). There was a bill that we were very worried about in 1996, but we haven't heard anything about it lately, and I assume it is dead.

Gaston County: NC's (former) Ferret Free Zone

One exception is Gaston County. In Gaston, it is illegal to buy, sell, or keep ferrets. The Animal Control Department in this county claims that ferrets cannot be vaccinated against rabies. Of course, this is not true.

The County's Animal Control Ordinance detailing ferret control can be found at http://www.co.gaston.nc.us/ordinances/ordinances.HTM. Select the Animal Control ordinance. The document itself is an Adobe Acrobat file. To get the ordinace changed, a Gaston County resident needs to contact the County Commissioners office. The Commissioners meet once a month to vote on submitted requests for changes. Contact the County Manager at 704-866-3100. The ordinance, in part, says:
(h) Ferret control.

(1) It shall be unlawful to possess, sell, or distribute ferrets, except as follows:

a. Institutions registered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture pursuant to the Animal Welfare Act, as amended, the North Carolina Zoological Park, and other zoological parks approved for this purpose by the North Carolina Zoological Park Council may possess ferrets, and dealers licensed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture pursuant to the Animal Welfare Act, as amended, may distribute or sell ferrets to these parks and institutions.

b. A person in possession of a ferret on July 27, 1989 may continue to possess the ferret if by November 1, 1989 the person obtains a license for each ferret from the department.

To obtain a license, the person shall submit the following information:

1. Person's name, address, county, and zip code;

2. Location of where the ferret will be maintained;

3. Number of ferrets in possession on July 27, 1989;

and

4. Statement from a licensed veterinarian that each ferret has been spayed or neutered.

c. A licensed veterinarian may have in possession a ferret for the sole purpose of providing veterinary services.

What about rabies? How are bite cases handled?

Until very recently, euthanasia for rabies testing was a probability for ferrets involved in bite cases.

The passage of the 1998 Compendium of Animal Rabies Control changed things. The State Vet's Office sent a letter to all Animal Control Departments and all Health Directors stating that a 10 day quarantine can be observed in feret bite cases. This is the same quarantine given to dogs and cats. Also, the State is recognizing the Imrab-3 rabies vaccine, and vets may give tags and certificates to clients at vaccine time.

Jamie Gunter created a web site called North Carolina Rabies Law to help individuals write letters in support of changes to our state laws. Please note that this site is run by an individual and is not loaded on TriFL's server.

There is relevant background information at LIFE's web site on State-By State Compliance. [Warning, check last-updated date; site may not be currently maintained. (January, 1999)]