Here's my personal take on the "pet stores selling ferrets" dilemma.
First, I'm not sure, short of an organized, very focused effort
to convince pet stores to stop selling ferrets (which is a great
possibility that I'll address later), the likelihood of pet stores
stopping this practice is remote. Think Prohibition and the drug trade.
As long as there is a market, somebody is going to step up and fill the
demand.
The fact that folks have now discovered the attraction of ferrets as
companion pets has definitely been a mixed blessing!
The ferret community's first priority in dealing with this has to be,
first and foremost, the welfare of the ferrets, especially if they have
already found their way into the pet stores. I believe the 'solution'
(if you can call it that) to this is threefold: (1) reaching and
thoroughly educating new and potential ferret owners; (2) promoting
adoption over purchase; and (3) as a last defense, educating pet store
management and sales personnel about the animals they are sellling.
(1) Reaching and thoroughly educating new and potential ferret owners.
As a rescue organization, Ferrets Unlimited Ferret Rescue (FURS) has,
as one of its stated purposes, to "educate potential adopters and
the general public, including humane societies and other rescue
organizations, about the habits and care requirements of companion
ferrets." We take this commitment very seriously, because we (and
anyone who rescues ferrets) see firsthand the damage that can be done
by (often well-intentioned) ignorance. A person who has taken the time
to learn about ferrets is less likely to be an impulse buyer in a pet
store. Thanks to the Internet, some wonderful books and publications,
and the number of great organizations out there who are proactively
safeguarding the best interests of companion ferrets, there are
infinitely more resources out there about ferrets than there were in
the last 8-10 years when this info was virtually non-existent and pet
stores first started seriously getting into the business of retailing
ferrets.
(2) Promoting adopting over purchase. Sadly, when I got my first
ferrets eight years ago, I thought that purchasing was my only option.
There were no breeders in my area, and I was not aware that ferret
shelters even existed, not even Ferrets Unlimited Ferret Shelter, our
predecessor organization operated by Jean Caputo-Lee. Ironically, I did
not even know that Jean's shelter was located one street over from me
in Cleveland's Old Brooklyn neighborhood, until I had already moved out
of the neighborhood to Norwalk, Ohio, about one hour west. Had I met
Jean before I moved, we'd probably still be neighbors and I'd have been
living at her house (not that I didn't, anyway!).
(3) Educating pet store management and sales personnel about the
animals they are selling. When I purchased my first ferrets, I ended up
doing so at the first store that I found (and, believe me, I did a lot
of due diligence; I was NOT an uninformed first owner) where SOMEONE
in the store was ferret-knowledgeable. I found a store manager who
actually HAD ferrets and could make intelligent recommendations about
a cage, care, a vet, etc. She also knew Jean and Ferrets Unlimited and
encouraged me to get in touch with her. (Obviously, since she was in
the business of retail pet and pet supplies sales, she didn't encourage
me to adopt!). Suffice it to say, even eight years later, there are
still not a lot of these individuals around. The level of ignorance
about ferrets and sometimes actual neglect in retail pet sales
continues to be appalling, at all levels of corporate, franchise, and
in-store operations. We are monitoring the conditions of a Pet Supplies
Plus location in a Cleveland suburb (newly-opened, no less!) where
there are kits being fed moistened kibble that has congealed beyond the
point of edibility, the way-too-small water bottle is frequently empty,
and where the floor person assigned to their care complains that she is
constantly feeding them and that they are 'little pigs.' ("Yeah," we
tell her, "they are BABIES! What babies do you know of that don't
EAT????") Worse yet, there is a 'subordinate' sales associate there who
IS ferret-knowledgeable, has actually adopted from Jean Caputo-Lee, and
who tells these people what they need to know (and takes care of it
herself), and whose input is actively ignored. Go figure!
Repeated calls to the franchise corporate office have fallen on deaf
ears, by the way. The next step is to call in the local humane officer,
who is in all likelihood as inept and uncaring as these people. (I grew
up in this suburb, so I can speak to the likehood of this with some
accuracy!).
Before I purchased my first ferrets, I would go into the store where I
bought them on my lunch hour and play with the babies. This was before
enclosures were locked for the protection of unsuspecting customers who
didn't realize that kits bite! Other customers would actually come up
to me, thinking that I worked there, because I was the only person in
the store who knew anything about ferrets and could address their
questions, albeit to an extent that was limited to what I had read and
already experienced.
We recently were invited to attend a Petco grand opening in an affluent
Cleveland suburb. As we were on our way out, a man came in with two
young kids in tow, carrying a cage and two ferrets (no bedding in the
cage). He was returning them after having bought them the day before.
We stayed to hear his reason for returning them. It was, "The
salesperson assured me that these animals would get along with our
cocker spaniel, and they don't." What salesperson in his/her right mind
would EVER guarantee that ANY animal(s) would automatically 'get along'
with any OTHER pet? Now, these sales 'associates' don't get paid a
sales commission, so why, other than out of sheer ignorance, would
one even think to make a comment like that???
Regarding attempts to halt retail sales of ferrets (or, at the very
least, increase the level of responsibility and accountability in this
practice), here are my thoughts and some suggested approaches. First
(and history has borne this out), scarcity doesn't always drive people
to the most responsible practices; black market breeding and sales
come to mind, off the top of my head. But, I believe that a focused
and vigilant effort to address irresponsible selling and deplorable
in-store conditions would have a real chance of succeeding, and it's
something any and all of us can do to safeguard the health and well
being of our ferret babies.
Here are my thoughts on the pet store situation. My personal approach
has always been to deal with what is, first. Work to address what is
wrong now, then work on changing what you want to change.
Don't assume a militant posture!!! At least, not initially. Sometimes,
nice and constructive do actually work, especially when people honestly
don't know what they're doing is harmful. Do you think that store
managers are taught about what (and who) they sell? C'mon!
These are things any and all of us can do. Little things done on a
grand scale can make a huge difference!
1) Regularly visit and monitor any pet stores in your area that sell
ferrets. Report unsafe (and STUPID!!!!) conditions to store management
at once.
2) If the store is receptive, offer to provide informational materials
about ferrets, participate in adoptathons, grand openings, etc., and
offer to host informational workshops about responsible ferret care. I
believe that Petco says they have 'fact sheets' about the companion
animals they sell, but I have not seen them and am not sure I would
rely on them.
3) If you are met with indifference, condescension*, or hostility,
contact the corporate office and voice your concerns. Repeatedly, if
needs be.
* Unthinkable that a store manager would do that to a paying customer,
but it does happen! I once got in a manager's face for having his
ferrets in wood shavings. His response? "They won't be here long enough
for that to harm them. But, we always appreciate the input of our
customers." Even more stupid on my part, I should have just left my
cart filled with dog food and ferret supplies right there in front of
him and walked out of the store. I did contact the corporate office,
however, to report the practice. Next time I went to this store to
follow up, no wood shavings were in evidence. I'd hope that the manager
was gone, too, but I doubt it.
4) Failing all of the above, contact your local humane society or
animal warden, and report the unsafe/abusive conditions.
5) No store wants negative media attention. But, extreme conditions
sometimes call for extreme measures. Go public to local meda. Without
naming names, I have mentioned to stores in the past that there is are
national real and virtual networks of ferret professionals who don't
take kindly to unsafe conditions in retail pet supply stores and
chains.
*********************
Anyway, these are just my ramblings, based upon my own experience.
Although president of FURS, I make no pretense to speak for the
group in this matter (although I believe our board would support my
observations). The reality of it is, though, that retail ferret sales,
no matter what we think of the practice, are occurring. Whether we can
or should work to stop this practice is a moot point, so long as the
well being of our babies is at risk.
Deb Daugherty Benson
[Posted in FML 6616]
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