![\"California's](\"https:\/\/www.send2press.com\/wire\/images\/25-1021-s2p-leglzferrets-800x600.webp\")
Image caption: California’s Ferret Ban: Inherited in 1933 – Never Determined.<\/em><\/p>\n
The newly released materials trace the prohibition back to 1933<\/strong>, when the Commission simply declared that it \u201cabsolutely prohibits importation of ferret and fitch.\u201d<\/em> No hearing, no environmental study, and no determination of domestication ever took place.<\/p>\n \u201cFerrets are banned because they are not \u2018normally domesticated in this state,\u2019 and they are not \u2018normally domesticated in this state\u2019 because they are banned,\u201d said Pat Wright of LegalizeFerrets.org. \u201cIt\u2019s circular logic that has gone unchallenged for ninety years.\u201d<\/p>\n A TIMELINE OF BUREAUCRATIC INHERITANCE<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cThese documents prove the ban was inherited, not determined,\u201d Wright said. \u201cThere was never a factual finding that ferrets are wild animals \u2014 just 1930s boilerplate carried forward.\u201d<\/p>\n LEGALIZATION EFFORT GAINS TRACTION UNDER THE ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES ACT<\/strong><\/p>\n The campaign for ferret legalization gained new traction this year after LegalizeFerrets.org formally invoked California\u2019s Administrative Procedures Act (APA)<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Under the APA, state agencies must base decisions on scientific evidence, follow transparent procedures, and allow public comment<\/strong> before adopting or maintaining a regulation.<\/p>\n \u201cThis law finally puts the issue where it belongs \u2014 in the light of science and public participation,\u201d Wright explained. \u201cFor the first time, the Commission is being required to justify its classification of domestic ferrets under modern standards.\u201d<\/p>\n PETITION 2025-003 MOVES FORWARD<\/strong><\/p>\n On June 11, 2025<\/strong>, the California Fish and Game Commission voted unanimously to accept Petition 2025-003<\/strong> for further consideration. The petition seeks to remove domestic ferrets (Mustela putorius furo<\/em>) from the prohibited species list \u2014 the first formal step toward a scientific, evidence-based review.<\/p>\n \u201cThe issue is simple,\u201d Wright said. \u201cAre domestic ferrets domestic animals? If so, the Fish and Game Commission has no jurisdiction. That\u2019s the question the state has avoided answering for nine decades.\u201d<\/p>\n CALL FOR EXPERTS AND PUBLIC SUPPORT<\/strong><\/p>\n LegalizeFerrets.org is now seeking expert witnesses<\/strong> in animal domestication, wildlife biology, and administrative law to assist as the case proceeds. MEDIA CONTACT:\n
\nSupporters are also urged to add their name<\/strong> to the public petition at:
\nhttps:\/\/docs.google.com\/forms\/d\/e\/1FAIpQLSfYOnd3GDwgbsZoZYlja6p8GHJlOg71x2v_8v1m4BXf2I-BHQ\/viewform?usp=header<\/a><\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>Pat Wright
\nLegalizeFerrets.org
\nCLIFFNotes@legalizeferrets.org
\n(619) 757-7426
\nhttps:\/\/www.LegalizeFerrets.org<\/a><\/p>\n
![https:\/\/www.Send2Press.com\/300dpi\/25-1022-s2p-leglzferrets-300dpi.webp<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"SAN DIEGO, Calif., Oct. 21, 2025 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — After nearly eight months of waiting for public records, Legalize Ferrets (LegalizeFerrets.org) has obtained internal California Fish and Game Commission documents confirming that California’s ban on domestic ferrets was never based on scientific or administrative findings.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5042,"featured_media":130375,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[974,12804,597,10,48,78],"tags":[20358,3629],"class_list":["post-130377","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pets-and-zoos","category-ap","category-ballots-news","category-california-news","category-government-news","category-san-diego-news","tag-california-fish-and-game-commission","tag-legalize-domestic-ferrets","has-post-title","has-post-date","no-post-category","no-post-tag","no-post-comment","has-post-author"],"acf":[],"views":3735,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.send2press.com\/wire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/130377","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.send2press.com\/wire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.send2press.com\/wire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.send2press.com\/wire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5042"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.send2press.com\/wire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=130377"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.send2press.com\/wire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/130377\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":130384,"href":"https:\/\/www.send2press.com\/wire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/130377\/revisions\/130384"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.send2press.com\/wire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/130375"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.send2press.com\/wire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=130377"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.send2press.com\/wire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=130377"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.send2press.com\/wire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=130377"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}](\"https:\/\/www.Send2Press.com\/300dpi\/25-1022-s2p-leglzferrets-300dpi.webp\"){kind=link}