Ferret Fandango

FERRET FANDANGO INFORMATION

Saturday, May 8, 2010
Gilbertsville Fire Company,
1454 East Philadelphia Avenue
Gilbertsville, Pennsylvania

Registration Information & Instructions

CLASSES OFFERED:

Title-Bearing: Adolescent, Alter, Breeder, and Companion Pet

Specialties: Adopted With Love, Aging Gracefully, Albino/Dark-Eyed White, Black Mitt/Black Roan Mitt, Black Sable, Blaze/Panda/Mutt*, Champagne, Chocolate, Green Card, Mitt, Point, Roan, Sable, & Slightly Irregular. In Ferret Fandango tradition, we will also be offering our fun Senor & Senorita Fandango class again this year!
*If enough entries are received, the Mutt class will be split into a separate class.

SANCTIONING: This show will be conducted in accordance with AFA Show Rules & Standards. Standard score cards will be awarded to all ferrets in all title-bearing classes and will be scored for AFA titles in all title-bearing classes.

AWARDS & TITLES: Rosettes will be awarded for first through tenth place in each ring of each title-bearing class. Trophies will be awarded for first place in each ring of each title-bearing class. A Best in Class trophy will be awarded to the ferret scoring highest in all three rings of each title-bearing class. A Best in Opposite trophy will be awarded to the ferret who is of the opposite sex as the Best in Class receiving the highest point total for that sex. Rosette ribbons will be awarded to all ferrets entering specialty rings, and a trophy will be awarded for first place in each specialty ring.

ENTRIES: Open to all ferrets that are 16 weeks to 6 1/2 years of age on the day of the show. ALL ENTRIES MUST BE RECEIVED NO LATER THAN SATURDAY, APRIL 17, 2010. Your entry date is calculated by the postmark if entering via postal mail. Entries may also be submitted using our online form. Online registrations close April 17, 2010. No entries will be accepted via e-mail or telephone.

ENTRY FEES: Please see the registration form for a list of entry fees. This entry fee includes admittance to the show hall for members of the ferrets' immediate household. Others wishing to attend the show must purchase admission at the cost of $5 per adult and $2 per child aged 4-12. Children under 4 are free. Show catalogs may be purchased at a cost of $5 in advance or $8 the day of the show. Limited quantities will be available for purchase at the show hall; it is recommended that you reserve one in advance. See the registration form for details. Sorry, no refunds on entries. All electronic entries must be paid using PayPal to reserve entry spaces; if you opt to mail a check, please note that your entries are not guaranteed until payment is received!

ENTRY CONFIRMATION: Confirmation of entries will be sent via e-mail to all registrants who provide an e-mail address. For those registrations without an e-mail address, your confirmation will be mailed. Confirmations will be sent on or after April 24, 2010. If you have not received your confirmation by May 3, 2010, please contact the show registrar by sending an e-mail to registrar@ferretclub.com or calling (610) 495-1509.

CHECK-IN/SHOW TIME: Exhibitors must check in with the entry clerk between 8:00 AM and 9:30 AM. Ferrets not checked in at 10:00 a.m. will be scratched from the show. Early check-in will be available for vendors and judges between 7:30 a.m. and 8:00 a.m.. Judging will begin promptly at 10:00 a.m..

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS: All ferrets entering the show hall, whether for judging, for sale/adoption, or for any other reason, must meet the following requirements or they will not be permitted in the hall:

All ferrets must be between sixteen weeks and 6 1/2 years of age on the day of the show.
All ferrets must have been vaccinated against rabies between the dates of May 9, 2009 and April 24, 2010 with Imrab-3 rabies vaccine. You must have written proof of vaccination in the form of a record from your veterinarian clearly stating the date of the vaccination and specifying the brand/type of vaccine was Imrab-3.
All ferrets should be adequately protected against canine distemper through vaccination with an appropriate CDV vaccine. Kits must have had their complete kit series of shots completed. Adult ferrets should have been vaccinated between the dates of May 9, 2009 and April 24, 2010.
All ferrets must have been tested for Aleutian’s Disease (ADV) between November 8, 2009 and the show date (remember to allow time for test processing and for the results to be mailed to you!) with either the Avecon ELISA Test (saliva only) or Blue Cross CEP Test. Please see the ADV Testing information for acceptable proof and instructions on how to have this test performed. You will not be permitted in the show hall without proper documentation of this test.
No pregnant or nursing jills or jills in heat will be permitted in the show hall.

ADV WAIVER: Per AFA ADV Policy, anyone entering the show with ferrets must, in addition to providing proof of negative ADV test (see above), sign a statement at check-in that states the following:

No ferret that I am bringing with me into the show hall today has ever had a definitive positive test result on the United CEP or Avecon ELISA saliva test (POCT and ELISA blood tests are not acceptable).

If in the past 4 months a ferret from my household (shelter/facility/ferretry) has had a definitive positive test result on the United CEP or Avecon ELISA saliva test (POCT and ELISA blood tests are not acceptable), I understand that all ferrets in the same household (shelter/facility/ferretry) are considered as having been exposed. I also understand that I cannot show or bring any ferrets from said household into the show hall today, regardless of their testing status.

I also understand that just because all of the ferrets in the show hall today have been tested for ADV within the six months prior to the show, this is not a guarantee of safety. I understand that the test is only as good as the day it was taken and I still need to practice SAFE FERRET habits at all times.

AFA BANNED BREEDERS & FERRETS OF UNKNOWN LINEAGE POLICY: The AFA requires that all shows sanctioned by the AFA recognize and enforce the AFA Banned Breeders & Unknown Lineage Policy. Ferrets of unknown lineage are not permitted to show in the Breeder or Adolescent Title Classes. Any ferret bred by a breeder that is banned from showing by the AFA will be treated the same as a ferret of unknown lineage. Ferrets of unknown lineage and banned breeder ferrets can only show in the Alter title class once they meet the requirements for showing in that class. Ferrets of unknown lineage and banned breeder ferrets will be listed with no breeder prefix, no sire, no dam and no breeder in the show book. Any misrepresentation or omission of data pertaining to the breeder of a ferret or the breeder of a ferret's sire or dam is grounds for the individual(s) responsible for the offense to be banned.

HALL RULES:

No smoking is permitted in the show hall.
No stud service will be allowed in the show hall. Pregnant or nursing jills or jills in heat are not permitted in the show hall.
Please do not leave your ferrets unattended for long periods of time. If you need to leave for any reason, please contact a show coordinator to assist you in finding someone to watch your ferrets.
No other animals are permitted in the show hall.
Please, DO NOT allow your ferret to walk on the show hall floor, even on a leash. The risk of injury with so much foot traffic is great, and it invites the risk of your ferret picking up illness or communicable disease by walking in the path of other ferrets.
Ferret pens MUST have some type of flooring beneath them (i.e., vinyl) or you will be asked to not use your pen.
DO NOT leave any animal, ferrets or otherwise, in your vehicle during the show!

PREPARING YOUR FERRET:

Exhibitors must provide clean, roomy cages or carriers, bedding, litter pans, litter, fresh food, and water for ferrets. Please, no straw or wood chips. Cage covers are recommended.
Nails must be trimmed on all four paws; ears and teeth should be clean; and ferrets must be free of parasites. Maintenance of your ferret will be very important in determining your ferret’s score.
Owners will be asked to remove any ferret from the show hall that appears to be ill.

TITLE-BEARING CLASSES: Date of birth is required for entry in title-bearing classes. If you do not know the exact date, the closest month and year is acceptable. Please record this date for future shows. Handicaps, such as, but not limited to: unilateral or bilateral cryptorchid (in ferrets 12 months or older), missing limbs or other features, tail shorter than 2 inches in length, cataracts, extraneous digits or appendages are NOT allowed in championship rings.

Adolescent Title Class: All ferrets 16 weeks to 12 months of age on date of show. Late spay/neuter adolescents will be judged with intact (unneutered) adolescents. Adolescents will not be judged against breeders, adult late alters, or companions.
Alter Title Class: All ferrets 1 year to 6 1/2 years of age on the date of the show who have either been spayed or neutered later in life (not pet store ferrets). Alters will not be judged against adolescents, breeders, or companions.
Breeder Title Class: All intact ferrets 1 year to 6 1/2 years of age on the date of the show. Breeders will not be judged against adolescents, late alters, or companions.
Companion Title Class: This class is open to all early altered (usually pet store) ferrets (Marshall Farms, Path Valley Farms, etc.) 16 weeks to 6 1/2 years of age on the date of the show. All entrants must be early spay/neuters (before 12 weeks of age). Late altered ferrets are restricted from this class. Companions will not be judged against adolescents, late alters, or breeders.

SPECIALTY CLASSES: Any specialty class that has fewer than 5 entries and is not sponsored may be cancelled for this show. Classes are limited to 20 entries per class.

ADOPTED WITH LOVE: Open to all ferrets that have been adopted from a recognized ferret shelter. Please provide the name of the shelter from whom you adopted the ferret with your entry. Must be spayed or neutered.
AGING GRACEFULLY: Open to all ferrets four to 6 1/2 years of age and in good health. A special note regarding Senior ferrets: Please keep in mind that a show day is tiring even for a young ferret. Please be very selective in your decision to bring a senior. Bring only seniors who are in the best of heath. Be sure to bring a cage cover to make your senior’s cage a quieter, less stressful environment. And finally, take extra precautions to minimize your senior’s contact with other ferrets. Any communicable illness, even colds/flu can be particularly devastating to an older ferret.
ALBINO/DARK-EYED WHITE: Open to all ferrets with pure white guard hairs and undercoat and either red or black eyes.
BLACK MITT/BLACK ROAN MITT: Open to all ferrets whose guard hairs are black with dark eyes and well-defined mitts on all four feet. Light silvers should be entered in Dark-Eyed White; medium silvers in Roan. Guard hair color should be black and should be 60-100% in concentration. Roaning (white guard hairs) should be 0- 40% in concentration.
BLACK SABLE: Open to all ferrets with nearly black or dark brown guard hairs. Overall a very black/dark brown color. Sables with more golden undercoats should be entered in the sable class.
BLAZE/PANDA/MUTT: Open to all ferrets whose pattern includes mitts/stockings, bib, and an all-white head and neck (blaze) OR who have mitts/white toes, bib, and a “blaze” - white stripe—on the head (blaze) OR ferrets who do not conform to a standard color or pattern and generally have multiple colors, spots, and/or patterns (mutt). If enough entries are received, the Mutt class will be split into a separate class.
CHAMPAGNE: Open to all ferrets with cinnamon– or champagne-colored guard hairs.
CHOCOLATE: Open to all ferrets with chocolate-brown guard hairs.
GREEN CARD: The Greencard specialty ring is open to all breeder (intact OR late-alter) ferrets with at least 1/4 foreign bloodlines.
MITTS: Open to all ferrets with mitts (white feet with a contrasting leg color.) Evenness of color of mitts side-to-side and front-to back contribute to the score.
POINT: Open to all ferrets whose points (legs and tail) are dark and body is light. Must have a V-shaped mask to almost no mask (eye markings only).
ROAN: Open to all ferrets whose guard hairs are black/sable/chocolate/champagne with roaning (silver) and dark eyes. This includes medium patterned silvers.
SABLE: Open to all ferrets with warm, deep brown guard hairs, white to cream to light golden undercoat, brown to black eyes, and a light brown, speckled, or outlined nose.
SLIGHTLY IRREGULAR:Open to all ferrets that have an obvious visible physical deficiency or handicap. This means missing appendages, missing ears or eyes, obvious physical deficiencies such as severely mis-aligned jaws, major obvious structural abnormalities, tail shorter than 2 inches, completely missing or extremely kinked. Cataracts and cauliflower ears do not qualify for this class.

SENOR & SENORITA (KING & QUEEN) OF SHOW: This special ring is a Ferret Fandango tradition. This is a fun class and basically takes all of the “traditional” rules of judging and throws them out the window. This class is a very subjective class is judged on coat condition, visual appearance and “cuteness factor” only. Handicaps do not matter. Body conformation does not matter. The judge is looking for the most captivating ferret. This class is meant to be a fun class similar to a beauty contest. There will only be 1 winner and one runner-up for each gender. The winners will be crowned “Senor & Senorita Fandango.”

COLOR CHECK: Entry in specialty rings is primarily based upon ferret color in most classes. Exhibitors may opt to bring ferrets of questionable color/pattern to the color check table between 9:15 am and 9:45 am to ensure that you have entered your ferrets in the correct class(es). If deemed necessary, you may switch your ferret from one ring to another at this time provided space is available. No ring changes will be permitted after the color check has closed. Please be considerate of the limited time available and only bring ferrets of which you are truly unsure to the color check.

SHOW EVENTS: In addition to the judging that will be taking place, a number of other attractions will be featured at the show:

Vendors! Vendors! Vendors! There will be many vendors in attendance selling all kinds of ferret wares, from cages to bedding, toys to tee shirts. Please be sure to stop by these vendors; many of the proceeds benefit ferret shelters from all over!
Chinese Auction: We strive to have the biggest & best raffle of any ferret show! Tons of great stuff for ferrets and their owners to win! All proceeds from the raffle benefit our shelter ferrets, so have fun and feel good about participating!

VENDORS: Set-up time on Friday, May 7 will be available between the hours of 6:00 p.m and 8:00 p.m for vendors. Saturday set-up will be available for all vendors starting at 7:30 a.m.

IMPORTANT HEALTH NOTES:

A Word About Infectious Diseases: There is always the risk of exposure to infectious diseases and illnesses, including, but not limited to, ECE, Aleutian’s Disease, influenza, etc., when multiple ferrets are brought into social gatherings such as a show. It is recommended that you allow minimal handling of your pet and minimal exposure to other pets at the show.
Ferret Bites, Nips, and Scratches: Please be aware that it is highly unlikely that any ferret at the show is a carrier of rabies. However, if your ferret bites, nips, or scratches someone, he or she may be required to endure a ten-day quarantine period per the current AVMA guidelines. Please be extremely careful in allowing others to handle your ferrets, at the show or otherwise. For the safety of your ferret, it is unwise to allow anyone who you do not know, other than a judge, to handle your ferret and it is strongly discouraged.

LIABILITY: The Pennsylvania Ferret Club & Shelter will not be held responsible for any sickness or injury to any exhibitor, spectator, vendor, or ferret, or to any damage or loss of equipment or personal property. Any incident related to the ferrets are the owner’s responsibility. The Pennsylvania Ferret Club & Shelter reserves the right to refuse entry or to expel any individual, vendor, shelter, club, or ferret.

CONTACT US
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the registrar by emailing registrar@ferretclub.com or calling (610) 495-1509 (please leave a message!).

If you need assistance in registering for Ferret Fandango, do not know how to obtain testing for ADV, or have ANY other questions about showing your ferret, please contact our show registrar who will be happy to answer any of your questions. Any ferret owner who wishes to show his or her ferrets is eligible and we welcome and encourage first-time show entrants at Ferret Fandango. Please contact the registrar by e-mail at registrar@ferretclub.com or call (610) 495-1509.

TO REGISTER, USE OUR ONLINE FORM OR PRINT OUT OUR REGISTRATION PACKET TO MAIL YOUR FORMS TO US.

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