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Photo: Illicit Ferret Chills In Zuccotti Park "On A Leash, Bitch!"
By
Ben Yakas
Published Sep 12, 2012
Modified Sep 12, 2012
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By
Ben Yakas
Published Sep 12, 2012
Modified Sep 12, 2012
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Rudy Giuliani may have been able to get rid of the squeegee men, but he couldn't get rid of the ferrets—despite being illegal, some New Yorkers just can't give up keeping ferrets as pets. Photographer Dan Nguyen spotted one such person near Zuccotti Park at Broadway walking their ferret the other day: "This ferret-owner recounted a conversation she had with another pedestrian: 'She was 'like, is it legal to have a ferret? And I was like, 'It's on a leash, bitch!'" And now it's in a gif too:
Check out more photos of the ferret crossing the road here. But no, for the record, it is NOT legal to have a ferret as a pet, nor other fur bearing mammals such as a weasel, marten, mink, badger, ermine, skunk, otter, pole cat, zorille, wolverine, and stoat. And you still can't have an ocelot, either. In an article about Giuliani a few years ago, Michael Wolff recounted how Giuliani squared off against a passionate pet owner:
It's always worth recapping Giuliani's famous riposte to a ferret owner who called in to the mayor's weekly radio show to protest the city's ban on them as pets: "There is something deranged about you.… The excessive concern you have for ferrets is something you should examine with a therapist.… There is something really, really very sad about you.… This excessive concern with little weasels is a sickness.… You should go consult a psychologist.… Your compulsion about—your excessive concern with it is a sign that there is something wrong in your personality.… You have a sickness, and I know it's hard for you to accept that.… You need help."
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Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
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