PRESS RELEASE                    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT CHIP GALLO (301) 424-4652

CHAMPIONSHIP PET FERRETS IN RENO, NEVADA.
Pet ferret enthusiasts from across the country will be gathering with their
ferrets in Reno,
Nevada on Saturday, March 7 for FERRET EXPO WEST, a 2-ring championship ferret
show. EXPO organizers say this is the first major ferret show to be held in the
West and
hundreds of pet ferrets and their owners are expected to attend.

Pet ferret owners attend events like FERRET EXPO to see other ferrets, meet with
friends
and to collect ribbons, trophies and other spoils of victory. The curious
would-be ferret
owner can learn from the long-time enthusiasts and see a wide variety of
animals, cages, and
accessories.

Chip Gallo, Founder of the Montgomery Ferret Club (Gaithersburg, Maryland) and
organizer of the EXPO, says ferrets are related to weasels, skunks, and other
members of the
mustelidae family, and have grown increasingly popular as house pets into the
'90s. He notes
that last year's Arnold Swarzenegger film Kindergarten Cop featured a
sable-colored ferret in
a starring role. It is estimated that 6 million ferrets are kept as pets in the
United States.

FERRET EXPO WEST is open to the public between the hours of 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on
Saturday, March 7, at the Reno-Sp
Admission is $4
for adults and $1 for children under twelve. For more information, call
301-424-4652 or
write to FERRET EXPO WEST, 1616 Forbes Street, Rockville, Maryland 20851.

[Posted in FML 0200]