The owner of a ferret rescue centre has expressed her anger after two animals were found dumped. Jayy Walters, who runs Marley's Ferret Rescue and Rehoming in Jacksdale, took in the two ferrets which were discovered in a box in a park.
The 25-year-old said: "It angers me because no matter how full a rescue is, there is always somebody out there to help you. There is always someone to get in contact with. To dump them is the most ridiculous thing."
The two ferrets, called Jekyll and Hyde, were only 17-months-old when they were found and are just some of the many Jayy has taken into her centre. Jayy added: "We get a lot of owner surrenders with people contacting us and saying they can't look after them.
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"We get a lot of strays - in summer time we get a lot of them as males are in rut and they tend to break their enclosures and go for walks. We get some from the vets and recently they get dumped in parks or in cardboard boxes on the side of the road. Jekyll and Hide were the most recent who were dumped in a park in a box."
Marley's Ferret Rescue and Rehoming was founded by Jayy after she worked for a sanctuary which didn't take in ferrets. She used her own knowledge to set up the centre in her home with the rescue in her garden and a ferret hospital upstairs.
Currently, Jayy is caring for around 50 ferrets and can hold up to 70. The rescue centre is going into its third year and aims to rehome healthy ferrets. Jayy has resident ferrets which are ones that are too old to be rehomed or have medical illnesses.
She said: "We always try to find them a loving home by doing background checks. We always try to suit the ferret to the person. If they can't be rehomed they stay with us for life."
Recently, Jayy has noticed a rise in ferret owners who don't know how to care for them. Jayy, who runs the centre in her spare time, said: "People will see them looking very cute on TikTok, dancing and doing all the jumping, but they don't realise they need an exotic vet and it does cost a little bit more than a normal vet. If they get illnesses they will cost more than a cat or dog.
"People need to do their research when they are going to get a ferret. With Jekyll and Hide, clearly there was no research done otherwise they would have known babies need nip training and they can be a handful. It makes me sad that people do not understand how much work goes into it. It's like having a puppy, you have to put the work in."
She added: "TikTok has been a big thing. It is good on most grounds with the educational videos but people see these cute dancing videos and go 'oh, I want one of them' but don't do the research. They do not realise how much time, effort and special diet they need.
"I believe social media plays a big role in how ferrets are perceived and how easy they look to care for." Marley's Ferret Rescue and Rehoming offers advice to new ferret owners on its social media pages.
Jayy said: "We want to raise awareness of what ferrets are like and how loving they can be. People see a ferret and think they stink or bite but that is not the case. They give back just as much as a dog would."
About the care provided at Marley's Ferret Rescue and Rehoming, Gwendolynn Rowell said: "Ferrets are so lucky to have this lovely lady looking out for them. I'm very appreciative of the advice I received and the quick check up on the ferret I'd found which is now back home safe and sound after her adventures."
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