Bill de Blasio wants to lift NYC's 15-year ferret ban

Bill de Blasio lifts 15-year NYC ferret ban

(Image credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

last updated 10 March 2015

Everyone from the New York Post to Manhattan Mini Storage has chimed in on the stark contrast between the mayoral reigns of Bill de Blasio and Michael Bloomberg. Now, de Blasio is extending his reform to the former mayorship of another New Yorker, Rudy Giuliani.

In 1999, Giuliani banned New Yorkers from owning ferrets as pets. Under the de Blasio administration, however, the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene is recommending a repeal of the ban, which prohibits "all fur-bearing mammals of the family Mustelidae, including, but not limited to, weasel, marten, mink, badger, ermine, skunk, otter, pole cat, zorille, wolverine, stoat, and ferret." Other banned animals, such as potbellied pigs, hedgehogs, and elephants, are still illegal.

The recommendation does come with reservations — The New York Times reports that pet ferrets will likely be required to be spayed and vaccinated, and they'll have to accommodate "certain restrictions, such as the removal of a ferret's anal glands, which can produce an unpleasant scent." Officials also noted that while ferrets don't bite more than other pets, they do pose a danger of injury to infants.