Hey, here's my two cents.
 
We as the ferret community have created the demand for ferrets and ferret
supplies.  It seems to me that some people tend to think that the ferret
community is only those who have a lot of education about ferrets etc.
etc.  When really, we are just like the dog or cat community.  Anyone who
has a ferret, is in the community.  Including those who give minimal care
etc. etc.  Also, anyone who WANTS to buy a ferret, and goes and gets one
is in the ferret community (aka someone who wants a ferret and asks the
local petstore to get them in) WE all have created the demand for the
ferrets and supplies.  Who here has not supported that demand?  Who here
has not supported one of the major farms in some way?  Have you ever
bought a ferret from them?  Adopted one that came from them?  Bought
supplies that they manufacture or supplies that are sponsored or
advertised by them?  Shopped at a petstore that sold their things?  We've
all support them in some way how ever direct or indirect.  We've all
created this demand.  and face it, if there is a demand in the market,
someone WILL answer it.  With that said, let me continue on.
 
The problem is NOT who sells ferrets, whether it be petco petsmart or a
local store.  The problem is that there is a DEMAND for them.  and for
the most part, it seems that the demand is a mostly uneducated demand.
Someone will always breed, sell, etc. ferrets when people want them.
That is not the problem.  The problem is there are people buying them who
know nothing about them.  It seems to me that all of the 'activists' are
attacking the symptoms but not the disease.  to put it that way.  It
seems to me, that our energy is better used for education.
 
Imagine ALL that we could do if we all turned every smidge of energy
everyone's using to write letters to petsmart, petco, boycotts blah blah
towards educating the public!  What if we all wrote letters to our local
news station asking if we could get a news clip on all the unwanted
ferrets and what their care is!  I would think that with ferrets becoming
so popular it wouldn't be that hard to get a consumer interest peice on
them.  Imagine how many people would hear the truth about ferret care if
we got that to happen?  What about asking Animal planet to do a show on
them?  What about trying to get someone on a show like The Late Show,
there's a lot of shows out there that have animal clips.  There's plenty
of shows that do ASPCA clips, so why not a ferret shelter clip?
 
How about taking all the paper used to write letters to petsmart that the
public will never see, and instead writing care pamphlets on ferrets and
GIVING them to petsmart, petco to hand out to interested buyers.  I'm
sure that if you gave it free, they would!  Yea it's a cost to you, but
so is sending all those letters.  What about asking the stores if you can
have a booth in there with information and advertising local shelters a
couple times a week or month or what ever, and if they say no, why not
set up in the parking lot or on the closest peice of public ground?  In
the summer, have lemonade to give out and attrack attention.  In the
winter, hot chocolate.
 
Stores will not stop selling ferrets or supplies for them while there is
a demand for them.  Asking them not to is rather pointless.  Marshall and
Path Valley will not stop breeding ferrets while there is a demand for
them.  Asking them not to is pointless.  Instead of wasting our energy
petitioning the people who are answering the demand, use the energy
addressing the people creating the demand!  It seems to me that we're
all using soooo much energy to write to petsmart and what ever, which
won't do much good.  Yet, when it comes to mass education programs, there
aren't very many people who are putting energy into that.  Every so often
I hear of education days that shelters are hosting, but something like
the whole petsmart thing comes up, it's all you hear about!  Think of
what could be accomplished in the education of the public realm, verses
trying to get the farms and stores to stop filling a demand for their
product.  Just think about it.
 
Anyway, that was my two cents, don't know if anyone will agree but hey,
just thought I'd throw it out there!
 
- Jules
[Posted in FML issue 4705]