ferrets in the news: helping the disabled

You don’t often hear about ferrets in the news. Even rarer yet is a story about ferrets helping the disabled. Ferrets are smart, clever and very trainable — so why not?

Lucy Gwin, a 65-year-old resident at the George Washington Hotel, is being evicted for having ferrets. The management clearly states that pets are not permitted and no mention of ferret ownership was presented during the lease agreement. Gwin claims her ferrets act as service animals by alerting her to seizures. She even has a note from a doctor stating that the ferrets are medically necessary.While in court over the matter, Judge J. Albert Spence said she violated her lease by having the animals. He evicted Gwin and ordered her to pay $99.50 in court costs. You can read more on this story here.

The ADA defines a service animal as “any guide dog, signal dog, or other animal individually trained to provide assistance to an individual with a disability. If they meet this definition, animals are considered service animals under the ADA regardless of whether they have been licensed or certified by a state or local government.”

Personally, I would like to believe that ferrets can preform such wonderful tasks as alerting individuals with disabilities. However, I struggle with my own observation that ferrets, though being great companions, are somewhat self centered. Without meeting Lucy Gwin and her ferrets, it seems like a case of he said, she said in the courts. None the less, she and her ferrets are blessed to have each other. I am sure they are wonderful pets for her.

I am reminded of a great article in the March/April 2008 issue of Ferrets Magazine titled Finding Happiness with Ferra-Care. It shares the touching story of how ferrets have a positive impact on the life of an Alzheimer’s patient.

While writing this post, I came across a wonderful blog, Pitt Rehab, who posted about the Lucy Gwin’s story here.