A dispute over a ferret, between a Fairfield couple and a Freeport, N.Y., animal shelter, nearly ended in a lawsuit and a campaign to boycott the shelter.

Rosemarie Maracich, who works for MTV, and her partner Shay MacInnis, of Chez Shay Hair Studio in Fairfield, say, through a series of freak accidents and the wrongdoing of the Freeport Animal Shelter, a stranger was given custody of Ollie, a three-year-old critter Maracich considers "part of our family."

The two left for vacation on Feb. 22, leaving Ollie and their dog with a friend in Long Beach. On Feb. 23, the friend noticed Ollie missing. He was found by a man who lived a few doors down. He reported the ferret to the police, and an animal control officer escorted Ollie to the Freeport Animal Shelter — where volunteer Ashley Ferrara had put in a request for a ferret should one ever become available for rescue.

"A ferret is not unusual," says director Stephanie Cieslik of the operation she says she turned into a no-kill shelter three years ago. "I've had to get a [Komodo] dragon in here, three feet long and refusing to get in the door."

A newly rescued animal has to stay in the care of a shelter or a "foster home" for five days before it can be legally adopted. Cieslik, unaware of Ollie's home and history, allowed Ferrara to "foster" him. "She fell in love with this ferret," says Cieslik, "and on the sixth day came in to make it official."

Meanwhile, McInnis and Maracich, who say their vacation was ruined by news of their missing pet, were plastering Long Beach with lost ferret flyers. They soon tracked Ollie to the shelter by calling the Long Beach PD and inquiring about ferret reports.

Cieslik says Ferrara came in to file paperwork to adopt the ferret on March 2. When Maracich called a few hours later, Cieslik says, she had to tell her Ollie was officially adopted and she couldn't give out the name or contact info of the new owner.

"She says [the new owner] 'fell in love with the ferret.' Think about how we feel," remarks Maracich. "Think about who socialized that ferret, who made him so lovable, so sociable. I don't know how any animal lover could rob someone else of their pet." Maracich adds, "It's been proven that ferrets bond with certain people. He loves Shay. He kisses her."

Cieslik says she sided with McInnis and Maracich but could not force Ferrara to give the ferret back. "I told this girl to give them the ferret back. I said, 'This ferret has a loving home.'"

Then the shelter was blasted with complaints via e-mail, and even a few donors threatened to boycott. "I wish there was this much outrage whenever someone steals a pit bull!" exclaims Cieslik.

The two were also gearing up for a lawsuit (it turns out the Giuliani-era fight to overturn a ban on ferrets in New York City left a lot of lawyers well-versed in ferret law) when Ferrara, a 19-year-old student at Nassau Community College, agreed to meet with the Fairfield couple at the shelter.

"It was a very emotional meeting. They both really loved that ferret," says Cieslik, who adds that she can relate. "My daughter is adopted and I had to wait with bated breath for an entire year before it was official."

As of now, Ollie has returned home to Fairfield — but not before one last blast on Long Island, where Joan Jett and other music industry friends of Maracich came to welcome the ferret back.