Ferret watch: Will removing the ban make things worse for potential pet owners?
More food for thought for apartment dwellers thinking ferrets are now a go: On the heels of last month's news that the de Blasio administration plans to undo Giuliani's ban on owning ferrets as pets here in New York, you'd think ferret-lovers would be ecstatic. Well, not quite. Not one ferret advocate, anyway.
Last weekend's "This American Life" episode on 180-degree changes opens with a short bit about the city's sudden shift in pet policy, and David Goodhart—the ferret fan Giuliani famously eviscerated live on his own radio show—is less than thrilled.
"If you're going to do something, you do it right. Otherwise, don't do it," Goodhart says on the radio show, lamenting that ferret ownership under the new rules would still require a license, something that isn't mandated by New York state law. "It's not a 180, it's more like a five-degree turn," he goes on. "It's a tiny, tiny step, when by rights [the city] should be taking a giant leap."
Will there ever be justice for our city's ferrets? In the interim, you can check out the clip (around the first six minutes of the episode) below, and decide for yourself:
Living with ferrets in NYC: 10 burning questions
For animal lovers: how to find a pet-friendly building and live happily ever after
9 things to consider before introducing a dog to your NYC apartment
