Ferret Rescue Society of Ottawa and Area

The Ferret Rescue Society of Ottawa and Area exists because there are times when ferret owners find that they can no longer provide a suitable home for their ferrets. In a perfect world, all ferrets would be in the perfect home, but we understand that sometimes circumstances occur that place an owner in a situation where they can no longer provide that perfect home.

People surrender ferrets for many different reasons. Sometimes, an owner's lifestyle has changed and they feel that they are no longer able to provide the best home for their ferret(s). Other times extenuating circumstances happen making it difficult for an owner to keep his or her ferret(s). Another common reason for surrender is that the owner wasn't fully aware of the needs of a ferret prior to acquiring it. No matter the cause, the underlying reason we hear from an owner who is surrendering is "I cannot provide the best home for my ferret(s) anymore."

We do not judge owners when they surrender their ferret(s). Instead, we applaud them for coming to us for help instead of euthanizing their ferret(s), or turning them loose (Ferrets cannot survive out of human captivity. Never release a ferret outdoors!). Even giving your ferret(s) to an acquaintance or putting an ad in a newspaper is not necessarily going to provide a suitable home for them. We will do everything in our power to place your ferret(s) into the very best home. We are experienced in screening adoption applicants and we have the means to provide the best of care while your ferret(s) are awaiting their forever home.

To surrender a ferret, start by completing our surrender form and contract (HTML, PDF). Please ensure you complete page 3 for each ferret being surrendered. When filling out these forms, please ensure the information is complete and accurate, including the name(s) and age(s) of the ferret(s) you need to turn over to us. We also need to know if they have any medical issues and the exact brand of food that they are used to eating.

In exchange for taking in your ferret(s) we ask that you ensure their Rabies and Distemper vaccines are up-to-date and that you provide us with complete copies of their veterinarian records. This information is very helpful to us and to the new owner, and in some cases can be life-saving if anything in the medical history ever becomes significant. We also require that all surrendered ferrets be tested for ADV. Either before we take over their car or at our intake home. Your ferret could have ADV and you would never know it. We ask that you cover the cost of these tests if at all possible. If you need more information on ADV testing, please Contact Us in advance of the surrender.

When surrendering a ferret we would appreciate it if you could include the following items to ease their transition:

At least one full week's worth of the food that your ferret is used to eating.
At least one piece of your ferret's unwashed bedding.
Any favourite toys, dishes, etc. that are familiar to your ferret.

Donations are not required upon surrender. However, we do ask that you consider all that we will do for your ferrets while they reside with us. If your ferret(s) have any medical problems, we will bear the expense to care for them. We will feed, care for, and provide necessities for your ferret(s) for as long as it takes to find them the very best home possible. Our organization runs entirely on the work of volunteers and through the donations and fundraising efforts of our club members. While your donation is not required, it is greatly appreciated. We gladly accept donations of cash, cheques and ferret items (cages, toys, etc).