The location of the FHL is in Smartgroups.  It sounds like Yahoogroups
still lists itself as having the FHL there but when people try to
subscribe it no longer sends out the message with the new address,
so people begin to join, send in the confirmation and then nothing
happens.  There isn't a thing we can do about that; the major reason
we left was the complete lack of support when things go wrong (which is
more often with large lists).  We just found out from an FML member that
she couldn't join and learned that she had been trying to do so on the
Yahoogroups list.  A general search will bring up both but once one is
found the natural inclination is to think it is the working address.
 
For the last year and a half the FHL has been at Smartgroups and here
is the general information:
Group Email:    [log in to unmask]
Manager Email:  [log in to unmask]
To Join:        [log in to unmask]
To Leave:       [log in to unmask]
Group Home:     http://www.smartgroups.com/groups/ferrethealth
Complete Searchable FHL Archives:  http://fhl.sonic-weasel.org
Rules:  http://www.smartgroups.com/vault/ferrethealth/fhl_rules.txt
 
Non-members may read the messages, the archives, the files, etc. but
may not post.
 
I figured that since one FML member had troubles recently with this it
could mean that some others had and since we hadn't known that there may
be any reason to post this info for around a year I will post it this
once and hope that by this time next year the incorrect listing doesn't
cause anyone else trouble.  I can't change the wrong listings in a Yahoo
subset where someone put my ancient listing of ferret references as a
gift because I never was able to get support to help me when it began
denying me access (Wasn't it Yahoo who bought that service?) Guess I'd
better try again but since so many things get cached for ages afterward
there could still be confusion.  Anyway, could those who have websites
that they still control and can change but have the wrong addy listed
for the FHL please change the website listing to the Smartgroups info
and please remember to include the archives addy?
----
 
Petco comment: the chain needs more national control over conditions and
needs to go for the most animal-friendly options.  What is happening now
is that the mistakes made in animal-abusive stores, in purchasing, or in
distribution ALSO hurt the OTHER stores which DO provide medical care and
will hurt their bottom line, but the abusive stores save bucks by being
abusive so their bottom line looks artificially high (until enough people
in the area get wise to those particular stores).  The result is that the
ones with artificially high bottom lines -- *IF* Petco works like many
retail chains -- will be seen as golden till their abuses reduce local
patronage.  I was in sales (including jewelry which I grew up doing) and
then several years in retail management (not pet chains), including as a
trouble shooter, before I returned to school almost 30 years ago and this
is how things worked in the chains for which I worked: the bottom line
determined access to the big wigs for suggestions.  Unfortunately, that
is not always conducive to the best solutions since some things which
work short-term hurt longer term (in some cases after the "golden"
manager has climbed to a higher post if the chain is fast promoter for
whatever reason: expansion, revolving door middle management, etc.),
and in the case of pet stores the things which can bring up net figures
short term can involve mistreating animals.
[Posted in FML issue 4341]