By Gary Cruden
Published: 22/03/2010
The Press and Journal
The only ferret rescue centre in Aberdeenshire is searching
for a new home.
The couple who run the A1 Ferret Rescue Centre, at Turriff,
have been told they must vacate their current premises later this year.
Geoff Stuart, of the centre, said: “The lease is
ready to run out and the landlord wants his property back for a member
of his family. He has apologised.
“Until Thursday night we were supposed to be out
on May 18 but we have slightly longer now. We really need somewhere in
Aberdeen or the surrounding area, anything at all as long as it has some
kind of garden for putting the hutches in.”
He said the centre generally cared for between five and
40 ferrets at a time.
He said the centre had 30 ferrets at the start of last
week but that number had dropped to 11 by the weekend.
“We take them in and look after them. They are vet-checked
and rehomed,” he said.
“We’re the only ferret rescue in this part
of Scotland and it would be a shame to let it go.”
He said the centre found it did not have as many ferrets
coming through as in years gone by but recently they had taken 36 ferrets
from English rescue centres which he described as “overrun”.
He said caring for a ferret was “easy enough”.
“If they are trained right they are like a dog or
a cat, you can take them out on a lead,” he said.
Founder of the north of Scotland branch of the Scottish
Ferret Club, Denise Shirreffs, said: “The rescue will have to close
if new housing cannot be found. Council housing is no use as the council
will not let them run a rescue. In case anyone is worried the ferrets
are securely caged.”
Anyone who can offer the centre accommodation can call
the A1 Ferret Rescue Centre, phone 01888 545034.
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