About Us

Dave and I have known each other since high school. We became high school sweethearts and married shortly after graduation. We raised four children. Our third child, Sean, was responsible for beginning our love for ferrets. His pet, Buddy, came into our home, and the whole family fell in love with him. Sean wasn’t too pleased about sharing his new friend with Mom, so Mom went to the local shelter and got her own! His name was Spunky. Then Mom went back, and then again and again. Soon we had several pet ferrets.

After visiting the shelter that we got our first ferrets from, we noticed that there were many ferrets without permanent homes and in need of TLC. We started helping in the shelter, and shortly after that, we became a satellite shelter. The original shelter had been run for many years by Darla Murphy, one of the original ferret activists in the state of Oregon. We became good friends and helped with more and more shelter duties and ferret events. As Darla ran out of room, we started taking shelter ferrets into our own home. This lasted about four years. Then, Darla became seriously ill and passed away, and overnight we added her shelter ferrets to ours. This occurred while we were moving to our current location in Oregon City. At that point, we decided this venture should have a name. Thus, we adopted the name “Oregon Ferret Shelter” in 1992.

The goal of the Oregon Ferret Shelter is to care for all homeless ferrets until a new permanent loving home is found. We are a 100 percent no-kill shelter — no ferrets are ever euthanized due to lack of room. We offer sponsorship and foster programs. Someone can sponsor a special needs ferret that remains in the care of the shelter for $10 a month. (This helps defray medical costs for a specific ferret). The foster program allows an unusually geriatric or special needs ferret to go to a foster home for extra TLC while still being financially supported by the shelter. Ferret adoptions are available for $100 through three years of age, and $60 for ages four and up. The adoption fee includes adult ferrets that are spayed or neutered with distemper shot and a certificate with contract for kits to be altered at the appropriate time. Distemper shots given prior to adoption are those appropriate for the age of the ferret kit. All ferrets are also ADV tested and receive an AVID microchip that you can have registered in your name. We typically have 40 to 75 ferrets available for adoption at the shelter.

If you are considering a ferret for a pet, please see the section Ferrets as Pets. This will provide you with useful information about ferrets to aid you in deciding if a ferret is the right pet for your home. Are you a ferret lover? Can you help to support our efforts? Please contact the shelter at (971) 313-3622 or write us and ask how you can help