Ferret shelters are a godsend to the ferret community, often saving the lives of ferrets surrendered or abandoned by their owners or rescued from unspeakable living conditions.
In addition, they often provide much-needed education to the public on owning ferrets, health and care issues, locating a knowledgeable ferret veterinarian in the area, etc.
Sheltering is not a business but a passion full of love, commitment, and dedication. There is no money to be made. Owners/directors often find themselves having to do fundraisers, raffles, auctions, etc., to help pay for the enormous medical bills and day-to-day care of the ferrets in their care.
They are often faced with the reality of using their own personal funds to keep the shelter going.
If you find yourself in the position of having to give up your ferret due to housing, illness, developing an allergy, or finding yourself unemployed and unable to even fend for yourself, you should turn to your local shelter for assistance in finding the best home for your beloved ferret.
Your main concern should be solely in finding him a wonderful home with a loving and dedicated family, not how much you can sell him for (would you sell your child?). You should work with the shelter as much as possible to provide financial assistance for your ferrets’ health and care. A generous donation goes a long way. Remember, shelters do not make any money and offer an excellent solution to you in your time of need.
Unfortunately, shelters also have to worry about ferrets owners who no longer want their ferret once they age or need medical attention, usually because they don’t want to pay the expense.
It’s very unfortunate that when a ferret needs its parents most, they are simply tossed away. Worse are those owners that should not be owning any pets. Rather than finding a home for them or turning to a shelter, they keep them in totally filthy deplorable conditions, provide inadequate food, water, and care (when supplied), have them caged 24/7, usually needing urgent medical attention.
Rescues are carried out by trying to convince the owner(s) to do the right thing and surrender them or, when necessary, physically removing the pet from the home with the assistance of local law enforcement.
Ferrets arrive at shelters for various reasons and situations, but this should not be their final home, only a brief visit. For shelters to survive and continue to help the public, ferrets must be adopted out to allow room for new ferrets needing help.
Are you Interested in Adopting a Ferret?
You can adopt ferrets living in a shelter and give them a second chance. Every ferret in a shelter deserves a forever home.
The ages of ferrets found at shelters range from a few weeks old to 7+ years old. Some are in excellent health, while others need special care. Before buying a new ferret, consider providing a forever home to a shelter ferret that just wants someone to love and care for them as they deserve.
Without the assistance of shelters to help these ferrets, who did not ask to be in this position, so many would have their lives ended well before their time. It would be wonderful if everyone bringing a pet into their home accepted the full responsibility that comes with it beforehand, resulting in no need for shelters.
Ferret shelters need assistance from the public to survive, but it doesn’t always have to be monetary.
There is no profit to be made, and they often find themselves using their personal funds to provide for all their needs, a loving place for ferrets to be cared for in every way, rather than have their life ended before it’s time.
Shelters are constantly in need of assistance in all forms. Monetary is always a significant need, with huge medical bills (despite the discount they’re usually given) and daily care.
Rescue Centers and Shelters – Please show us your Ferrets
We will display your ferret’s picture along with other information (name, age, gender, color, personality) on the site to help you and your ferret find a new home.
You can work with your local shelter to help arrange and advertise fundraiser activities, donations, raffles, auctions, etc. Those shelters that are 501(c)(3) provide an added incentive of a tax write-off.
Other than monetary, you can offer something equally as important, your time. No matter how short, shelters more than welcome the assistance to help care for the ferrets and keep their areas clean.
With the number of ferrets some shelters have, they do all day long, with no personal time for themselves from 7 am to 11 pm. This is also an excellent opportunity for children to learn about ferrets, their needs, care, etc. If you’re not sure if a ferret is a suitable pet for you, volunteering your time will allow you to learn firsthand before you make any decisions.
You can also help by donating supplies like food, litter, towels, toys, hammocks, bowls, water bottles, etc. Everything and anything is very much appreciated and helps a long way, no matter how small or how little.
The following list of ferrets is waiting for their forever homes.
Following is a list of ferrets for adoption in ferret shelters across the USA. You can look at this list to see if there are ferrets available for adoption near you. Contact us if you find a ferret.
Get in touch with us by email, and we’ll work together to complete an adoption request for the ferret.
Our List of Ferret Shelters across the USA and Canada
The following list is by no means complete. If you know of another shelter that should be included, please contact us.
Evaluating a Ferret Shelter/Rescue
All reputable shelters have a screening process before adopting out to you to ensure you can provide for the ferret, as well as charge a nominal fee. The goal of the shelter is to find a final home for the ferret with the best parents possible.
You should be prepared for an application to be completed, phone interviews, and even in-person meetings before your adoption go through.
Just like there are good and bad pet owners, breeders, pet stores, etc., the same is true for shelters. Before surrendering your ferret, or adopting a ferret, you should check out the shelter you’re considering. Some questions to ask yourself which you should be able to answer yes to are:
- How many ferrets do they have waiting for adoption? Do they seem well over their limits?
- Are they knowledgeable about ferrets and all their requirements?
- Do they have a quarantine area for new ferrets until they are vaccinated and ADV tested?
- Do they test for ADV?
- Do they have records that the ferrets are up-to-date on vaccines and exams from their veterinarian?
- Are they willing to allow you to call their veterinarian for confirmation?
- Are the cages clean, ample food and water supplied?
- Are the cages not overcrowded, do they contain a litter box, bedding and hammocks?
- Is the area they’re in clean (ie; walls, floors, etc)?
- Do they have a place to run around and play outside of the cage and is it clean?
- Are the the ferrets friendly and don’t mind being handled?
- If they have personal ferrets, are they kept separate from the adoptable ferrets?
- Is parvocide used for cleaning cages?
- Do they use it on clothes and skin when they/visitors are touching animals they don’t know the health status of yet and are gloves used when handling them?
If you encounter a shelter you are concerned about, you should discuss your concerns with them, other local shelters, and/or ferret owners.
They could just be experiencing an overwhelming number of surrenders/rescues, you might be visiting during routine choirs, etc. Your adoption experience should be one of joy in providing a needed and loving forever home
Disclaimer: We haven’t approached all of the shelters, and we don’t know their actual status. Furthermore, we don’t know which shelters meet the necessary requirements for keeping ferrets. Let us know if any shelters on the list need any updates.
