Ferrets Seized

[nena10]

This happened on Monday, September 10. What do you guys think of this? Does anyone think that a city has the right to have zoning laws regarding pets? If someone is a homeowner, and if they are capable of taking care of all of the animals, don't they have the right to have as many pets as they wish?


FERRETS SEIZED
A Layton woman who said she was running a sanctuary for ferrets in her condominium had 224 of the animals seized last week by Davis County authorities. Animal control officers found cages stacked floor-to-ceiling in each room of Jean Morrison's residence. Officers took the ferrets to an undisclosed location where Morrison said she was helping care for them. Morrison was left with six ferrets, the maximum number of pets allowed per household in Layton. Morrison said she has had as many as 500 ferrets. What started as an effort by her to rescue or adopt ferrets in need turned into "more than one person could ever do," said DeAnne Hess, the county's animal-control director. No charges have been filed against Morrison, who said she had been operating a sanctuary for ferrets and reptiles at her condo since 1985. County and city officials were considering possible zoning or health-code citations.

 

[airprincess]

In my opinion, one person can't care for 224 ferrets, and be able to give them the love and attention they deserve. with 24 hours in day, that means each ferret would get 10 minutes of quality one on one time, if she never went to bed, the bathroom, had meals, only played with the ferrets. I don't personally think she should be allowed to have 224 ferrets.

 

[donna]

I agree with AP.

 

[sunlion]

I agree with AP, too.

Either she doesn't have the time to care for them or she is a ferret farm (breeder, fur, whatever) in which case the zoning is different. Or she has that hoarding disorder and needs treatment.

Besides, if there weren't some kind of law about it, you'd get people keeping chickens or goats in apartments and that isn't healthy or sanitary. Not to mention exotics like large cats or monkeys.

The problem is, no matter how reasonable and civilized you yourself are, you can't rely on other people to be the same. That's how we get those personal conduct laws.

 

[dtolle]

I completely agree. How can anyone care properly for 224 of anything?? And like Sunlion said, people would start having animals that are not "proper" for house pets.
I have to say that I think the city or town should have SOME control over what you have for a pet ( obviously in moderation ).

 

[hissy]

Having had to care for four ferrets at one time, it was not a simple matter of putting them in a cage and basically ignoring them. They really need a lot of attention, they need to run (they are wild animals after all) they love water and would routinely dump their water bowls over and then do the same with their food! In order to give these 224 ferrets the proper care, this lady would need over 150 volunteers to help her, and still that would NOT be enough! Plus, they smell and though not as bad as skunks, they can get pretty musky! I was so relieved when I found good homes for all four of them, and I think my neighbor was too, because the cage was right under his bedroom window with a fence to seperate us of course. But the woman really needs some mental health counseling. That is to much!