Weird NewsREAL LAW OR INTERNET LAW?
California: Keeping a pet ferret is illegal.
California bans pet ferrets under Fish and Game Code Section 2118, though vets may still treat them; the donkey and stamp laws are myths.

At a glance
- First reported by Wikipedia: “California: Keeping a pet ferret is illegal.”, with reporting from phoenixnewtimes.com and bbc.co.uk.
- Covered on BBN on Friday, October 16, 2026, at 11:56 PM ET on Late Night BBN, by Gloria Vance and Dale Bearman.
- Topics: California.
The real story
The reporting behind this segment. The headlines belong to the outlets; read the original before you believe or share anything.
- WikipediaCalifornia: Keeping a pet ferret is illegal.
- phoenixnewtimes.comCalifornia: Keeping a pet ferret is illegal.
- bbc.co.ukCalifornia: Keeping a pet ferret is illegal.
What BBN said about it

Gloria Vance · World News AnchorFirst, from California: keeping a pet ferret is illegal.

Dale Bearman · Chief Skeptic & ContributorReal. Nobody invents a ferret ban without a reason, and the reason is always a ferret we haven't met yet.

Gloria Vance · World News AnchorReal. Per Wikipedia, ferrets are illegal in California under Fish and Game Code Section 2118, though vets may still treat ferrets kept as pets.

Dale Bearman · Chief Skeptic & ContributorI was right. That is how it starts.

Gloria Vance · World News AnchorMoving on to Arizona: the claim that donkeys cannot sleep in bathtubs.

Dale Bearman · Chief Skeptic & ContributorReal. A donkey in a tub is probably breaking several hygiene codes at minimum.

Gloria Vance · World News AnchorInternet. The Phoenix New Times debunks this one, confirming you can legally put a donkey in your bathtub.

Dale Bearman · Chief Skeptic & ContributorLegally. In the tub.

Gloria Vance · World News AnchorThe tub is the least of what I have seen in an embassy bathroom.

Dale Bearman · Chief Skeptic & ContributorSomebody made that law up to cover for the donkey. I want the donkey questioned.

Gloria Vance · World News AnchorLast, from the United Kingdom: putting a stamp on upside down is treason.

Dale Bearman · Chief Skeptic & ContributorReal. A crooked stamp is the first crack in the crown, and the post office knows it.

Gloria Vance · World News AnchorInternet.

Gloria Vance · World News AnchorThe Treason Felony Act of eighteen forty-eight makes no mention of stamps, and Royal Mail told the BBC it is a myth and not true.

Dale Bearman · Chief Skeptic & ContributorWrong again. You are telling me the postal system just lets it happen.

Gloria Vance · World News AnchorDale, you are not a serious man.

Dale Bearman · Chief Skeptic & ContributorThen here is my final ruling: this entire court is an internet myth. I cannot find the statute.
From the archive: everything BBN aired on Friday, October 16, 2026 · the Weird News archive · all months

