"TinyPrintsOnTheHeart.com" <[log in to unmask]> wrote
>I guess my beef with hammering a business who is selling items to make a
>profit or their living is that, you as a consumer must educate yourself
>and can't rely on any store to offer you "just the good things for you."
>Food stores and restaurants, for example, sell all kinds of things that
>are not really good for you......too much fat etc.  But it is up to you,
>when you go to these places to make healthy choices.  We don't hammer a
>food store to remove "all fatty foods" or all "high in carbohydrate"
>foods.
 
As a retail store owner/manager it is the choices we make that put what
goes on the shelves in that store.  It is also the choice to either be
educated about the products or not.  I have found that most chains have
not been interested in being educated or even interested in educating
their customers.  We as a ferret community have the ability to change
that mind set and make a difference in the kinds of things that are
offered to the uneducated customer, IMO it is our responsibility because
we are much more educated in what is good, bad and or harmful to our
ferrets.  To expect the large chains to be educated, and responsible for
the products on their shelves without our direction is like asking a
child what they would like for dinner without giving direction.  If you
walk into anyone of the chains and ask a floor employee or clerk what is
the best for your ferret the chance that you will get an employee that
really knows that answer is less than 50/50..  They will grab the first
package on the shelf that is most visible and has a ferret on it.  I
have done this so I know.
 
I opened my pet supply store back in 1996.  I made up my mind that what
ever products got put on the shelves were going to be healthy and NOT
harmful to any animal.  I would do my best to keep my customers up to
date on what is the best care for their pet.  Ferrets, of course, are my
expertise, but my store sells products for all animals.  I learned early
on in my retail career that the products that are and can be harmful and
not healthy for the animals were the cheapest to buy, had the highest
markup and the most profit to the bottom line.  I do not sell the cheap
and unhealthy products!  That was a choice I made; not to purchase the
kinds of products that can be purchased in the big chain stores.  There
have been a few times when a customer wanted the crap food for their
ferret or other pet, but I explained why I did not carry it and tried to
educate them on the proper kinds of food and treats they needed to have
for the pet that they owed.  Sometimes it worked sometimes it did not
but the choice I made was to not allow the customers ignorance in proper
care to influence me in what I would sell in my store.
 
While at the symposium I was set up next to The Ferret Depot.  I got the
opportunity to speak with Steve and came right out and asked him why he
had products on the table that were harmful to ferrets.  His response to
me was, *Well it sells and there are a lot of ferret owners out there
that use it!  There can't be that many ferrets being hurt by the food if
it sells that much.*
 
My response was, *1 ferret being hurt by a food that is harmful is not
only too many it is irresponsible!*  I was unfortunately thinking that
Steve was the owner of The Ferret Depot and was rather harsh in my
responses.  In the end I found out that he was the manager and he had no
control over what was put on the shelves.  I did apologize for assuming
he had the control, but we also had some real heavy conversation and
he did finally concede that just 1 ferret being harmed was too many and
he would take the information we discussed back with him to the powers
that be.
 
Products that are harmful I have listed on my web site with a warning
on them, products that are questionable have explanations on them for
possible issues.  My store does okay, it feeds and cares for many local
animals, I am not ever going to get rich or become a chain but I do make
a difference in the lives of the animals that are owned by the humans
that do business with me.  The bottom line for me is this; I can sleep at
night knowing I did not harm a ferret or any other animal by selling a
food, treat or toy that was harmful.  That is the best bottom line there
is in my book... Money is nothing if it costs a life of a ferret!  So if
we can get the big chain stores to follow our direction, we have all made
a difference for some ferret out there they may very well have been
harmed.
 
Brenda Johnson
International Ferret Congress Vendor Coordinator
<http://ferretcongress.org/>
[Posted in FML issue 4874]