Each year Columbus plays host to a wide world of conventions, from
the Arnold Fitness Expo to the Hell City Tattoo Festival. One Columbus
convention that's a little less extreme but perhaps a bit more endearing
is the Ferret Buckeye Bash, the largest ferret show and competition
in the country.
The show, which will be Saturday at Veterans Memorial, is also the
main fundraiser for the Heart of Ohio Ferret Association and Rescue.
Started in 1997, this group is a nonprofit, no-kill shelter and club
that rescues unwanted and found ferrets. The annual competition and
conference means a lot to the organization.
"The funds raised at that bash are what funds our shelter, what takes
care of our surgeries, all our medical bills, the care of the animals,
their food and litter," said Scarlett Gray-Saling, founder of the Heart
of Ohio Ferret Association and Rescue and coordinator for the Ferret
Buckeye Bash. "Without the Ferret Buckeye Bash, there's no way that
we could continue to support all of these animals."
The shelter gets anywhere from 100 to 150 new ferrets annually, and
an adoption system is set up to find happy homes for these unusual
pets. The Heart of Ohio group can provide pet seekers with plenty of
information to make an informed decision about whether a ferret is
the right pet for them.
"Before you make that impulse buy, come and talk to us," Gray-Saling
said. "If you decide that the ferret is the animal for you, we can
match you up with a rescue or a breeder. We usually recommend that
first-time ferret owners get a rescue. It's just like people getting
dogs or cats for the first time -- go to a shelter and get one that
is older, that sometimes doesn't have a lot of the issues of using
the litter box, and we can tell you what issues are usually with that
ferret, just like a shelter can with a dog."
Also, like dogs, ferrets can be shown in competitions, which is a
big part of the Ferret Buckeye Bash. The event has four championship
rings with "best in show" for each category, and this is serious business
for participants, as this is the largest group of ferrets, owners and
breeders getting together in the US. Gray-Saling anticipates an attendance
of more than 300 ferrets, 65 exhibitors, 30 vendors and 500 to 1,000
attendees.
Registration for the competition portion is now closed, but pet ferrets
still are welcome, as long as owners bring along proof of current rabies
and distemper vaccinations and proof of current Aleutian disease virus
results. And don't worry about not being involved in a competition;
plenty of amusement still is available for all.
"We have best-dressed competitions and tube races," Gray-Saling said. "We
also have what we call Elvis and Tweety, and these are the fattest
ferret and the skinniest or the tiniest ferret. The best-dressed are
hysterical. I've seen ferrets dressed as a bride and groom, hula skirts
and coconut bras, sailors, all different kinds of costumes."
Even if you don't have a ferret, the Ferret Buckeye Bash might be
a great feel-good event, as ferrets are by nature highly entertaining
and curious little creatures.
"Their antics are so amusing, and they just seem happy all the time," Gray-Saling
said. "They usually don't sit still for very long, but they do show
affection, they're happy to see you. If you want something to cheer
you up, let a couple of them lose, and you just sit there laughing
-- it's better than TV."
