They are adorable looking animals that come with a warm and playful spirit. They are ferrets, and these little furry guys take center stage Sept. 10 in the 2023 Ferret Agility Trials, an annual benefit for Lane Ferret Shelter and Rescue. The almost 30-year-old competition was called the Ferret Olympics until 2005, after the U.S. Olympic Committee threatened a lawsuit for unauthorized use of a trademark. The ferrets, 30 to 50 in past years, will be put through their paces, such as in the strongest ferret competition, where a ferret wears a harness and pulls a sled that is carrying weights. Melanee Ellis, the shelter manager at Lane Ferret, notes that this competition typically is won by small female ferrets. There’s also a yawning contest — just massage the ears and your ferret will yawn, Ellis says — the cup tip knock competition (with raffle prizes inside the cups), timed runs and a paper bag escape contest for ferrets to show off their Houdini-like skills. “It’s a lot of fun to watch,” Ellis says. She notes, too, that the shelter currently has 32 ferrets that are adoptable, most of them older, and that ferrets make wonderful companions in a home if you’re considering a new pet.

The 2023 Ferret Agility Trials, a benefit for Lane Ferret Shelter and Rescue, is noon to 4 pm Sunday, Sept. 10 at Emerald Park Pavillion, 1400 Lake Drive. The event is FREE for spectators, and carnival games at $.25 cents. Registration for ferrets is $3. More information about Lane Ferret Shelter and Rescue is at LaneFerrets.org.

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