Laois SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) issued an online appeal in relation to the pet this afternoon.
The ferret was spotted running around at the front of a Portlaoise housing estate. Photo: Laois SPCA/Facebook
Neasa Cumiskey
An animal charity is searching for the owner of a rogue ferret after it was spotted near a garda station in Co Laois.
Laois SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) issued an online appeal in relation to the pet this afternoon.
It was seen running around at the front of the Glenside housing estate in Portlaoise, which is located just down the road from Portlaoise Garda Station.
Sharing a photo of the ferret, the group hoped to alert its owner to the missing critter, writing: “Message received- this ferret was seen running at the front of Glenside Estate, near Portlaoise Garda Station. Does anyone know the owner?”
Ferrets are not an indigenous Irish species and any seen in the wild are likely to be released or escaped pets.
They are native to other parts of Europe and tend to live in forested areas.
The first recorded sighting of a ferret in the wild in Ireland was in 1986, according to Biodiversity Ireland. They are now widespread in 19 of the 32 counties of Ireland with a breeding population in Northern Ireland.
