A ferret competes in the yawning contest at the Ferret Agility Trials. Photo by Bill Ellis.

The Ferret Olympics

With ferret games, a carnival and more, the Ferret Agility Trials is fun for both ferrets and people  

If you love ferrets, carnival games or are simply looking for a unique local event to go to this weekend, the last ever Ferret Agility Trials is August 30. You can enter your ferret to compete in multiple games, including the tube run, strongest ferret competition, yawning contest, paper bag escape and more. Melanee Ellis, who organizes the agility trials, says that any ferret can enter the games. Ellis has been organizing the event since the 1990s to bring together ferret lovers and raise funds for the Lane Area Ferret Shelter and Rescue, which she opened in 1993. The trials were known as the Ferret Olympics until 2005 when the U.S. Olympic Committee threatened a lawsuit. Ellis is retiring and closing the shelter, making this year’s Ferret Agility Trials the last one after more than 30 years. All proceeds will be donated to Little Critter Crew, an Oregon shelter that rescues small mammals. Even if you don’t have a ferret, you can still watch the games for free, as well as pet and hold ferrets. “We’re not going to charge you to have a good time,” Ellis says. You can also play carnival games for only 25 cents per ticket, enter to win pet supplies in the raffle, bid in the silent auction and shop for ferret supplies at the Bandit Boutique. “Ferrets are very playful, so they’re just a lot of fun to be around,” Ellis says. “It’s really fun to watch.”