The Pumpkin Project

Since 2018, the Ferret Association has accepted and adopted out ferrets released from medical research. The first ferrets came to us through a ferret-loving intern at one New England facility. Facility staff has continued to release ferrets to us as a trusted shelter partner.

We are focused on The Pumpkin Project for our future. It is named after a special ferret owned by a generous family which helped launch the program.

Not all the ferrets come to Hartford. The Ferret Association is able to use our connections in the ferret shelter community to accept and place former laboratory ferrets across the US. Our goal is to continue to work with more & more research facilities.

Ferret Association Policy about Ferrets in Medical Research

In the future, alternate methods of drug testing and disease research will become far more commonplace. However, currently it is more expensive and some federal regulatory agencies require animal use for certain treatments. While our organization would prefer no animals are used, we are not qualified to enter that debate. Neither can we advocate disrupting medical facilities or animal rights terrorism. Our goal is simply to help any animals possible find a loving home.