They’re furry, friendly, full of mischief – and in need of a good home.

Prospect Ferret Rescue has just reached a milestone by rehoming its 600th ferret since its first adoption in October, 2012.

The registered charity, which is dedicated to rescuing and rehoming abused, unwanted and abandoned ferrets, is run by Almondbury-based Sara Lamming, a former newspaper production manager, with help from three animal care assistants.

Currently, they have 94 ferrets in their charge – housed in an old barn which also has an outdoor play area equipped with “toys” such as old boxes and crinkly paper, which the ferrets love to rummage through.

Prospect Ferret Rescue, Almondbury. Sara Lamming who runs the rescue with some of the rescue Ferrets.

Prospect Ferret Rescue works with the RSPCA and has taken in more than 250 ferrets from the society in the last four years – some of them saved from negligent owners and unsafe living conditions.

It all began when a six-inch long ferret wandered into Sara’s garden one snowy December night and made a home for himself in an old armchair in the barn. The ferret, which Sara named Sid, was soon followed by another, Louise, from a local rescue centre.

Sara said: “We had only just moved back up north after 20 years in London where you don’t see many ferrets! Everything we read about them said they are very sociable and aren’t happy living on their own. We got Sid a companion and I started helping at a ferret rescue in Sowerby Bridge. But when that closed we had to find homes for 28 of them.”

A cuddly resident at Prospect Ferret Rescue, Almondbury

Sara now has 12 ferrets of her own as well as the ones she looks after and rehomes.

“There are a lot of people who think they would like to keep a ferret but don’t know how to handle them,” she said. “There are also people who work them for rabbiting and if one gets lost down a rabbit hole they just walk away because they can pick up another ferret for about a fiver. Ferrets can also end up as dog bait.

“They are great escape artists. They can get through the smallest holes and they are very curious, so they will follow where their nose leads them.”

Some of the rescue ferrets at the rescue in Almondbury.

The daily routine at Prospect Ferret Rescue involves the ferrets having two hours of outdoor play twice a day while Sara and her team clean out the barn. The charity, which operates 365 days of the year, makes home visits to check would-be owners are going to give the ferrets loving, responsible, forever homes. Prospect Ferret Rescue also provides a permanent home for ferrets which cannot be adopted due to health, age or temperament.

Prospect Ferret Rescue in Almondbury

All the ferrets are neutered and vaccinated before rehoming. Prospect works with Jeremy Cooke, at Donaldson’s Vets at Aspley.

The service is also supported by the makers of Vitalin, a ferret feed which the animals eat mixed with raw minced chicken.

Sean Cox, of Vitalin, said: “We are more than proud to support Prospect Ferret Rescue and the great work they do by providing these ferrets with the nutrition they need before and after going to their new homes.”