M E D I A A L E R T

Contact: Gary Kaskel (212) 876-0090
Event: Press Conference
Date: Thurs, Oct. 28, 1999
Time: 11:00 am
Place: 545 Madison Avenue, 15th fl.

Ferret-Lovers File Lawsuit Against Mayor, Health Dept.

Ferret Ban by Board of Health Cited as Unlawful Abuse of Power

According to a lawsuit filed in State Supreme Court today, the Board of Health's vote to ban pet ferrets lacked the legal authority that only the NY City Council has, and a coalition of ferret-lovers and humane groups is asking the Court to enjoin the City from enforcing such ban and invalidate the Health Dept. ruling.

The Board of Health comprises of the Health Commissioner and three Mayoral appointees. The lawsuit claims that Mayoral prerogative and not common sense produced an anti-ferret vote that violates tens of thousands of ferret owners' rights. The Mayor has incorrectly characterized the common pet as "weasels," and erroneously claimed that ferrets are currently illegal in 48 states when the opposite is so, including the rest of NY State.

At a public hearing prior to the vote (which none of the Board of Health members attended) a litany of interested parties opposed a ferret ban, including the ASPCA, the Humane Society of New York and the Animal Medical Center.