This is a summary of my experience today in distributing fliers about the
upcoming ferret show.  The show is scheduled for March 28, Seattle Center,
Snoqualmie Room.
 
So far I've been able to distribute 16 Ferret Show Announcements or fliers
to both pet stores and vet offices on my Island and in the local community
of Bellevue and Issaquah, Washington.
 
Everything went fine (nearly everybody was willing to post the fliers) until
I visited a local pet store (Issaquah PetSmart).  Here I was told to, well,
in so many words, get out of the pet store.  That they would not post any
fliers about ferrets.  Wow!
 
I was really surprized by their stern, no-nonsense refusal, and upon asking
why they were so negative about ferrets, I was approached by the assistant
store manager, who had experienced a somewhat unpleasant experience with a
woman, who, prior to my coming to their store, had attempted to post a
similar flier about the Sunday Pet Show.  I do not know who this woman was.
I had no idea what I had walked into.
 
Unfortunately the verbal exchange that took place between these two ladies
became heated, and in the manager's words, "she got really mad and went out
of here in a hurry before I could explain the store's policy.'
 
I told her that I'd like to know the store's policy and that I would be
delighted if she'd accept one on my fliers for posting in the store.  Well,
she told me, she accepted my flier and she did.
 
I was told that no fliers can be posted unless they are preapproved by
corporate headquarters in Arizona at phone number 602 580 6100 ext 2826, and
that the sponsoring organization must be able to supply a federal non-profit
org No.  Well, this LOS organization that's sponsoring the ferret show
apparently doesn't have such a number to give, or so I understood, because
no one told me what it was and it's not on the flier.
 
The PetSmart manager was very nice to me and said she'd post the flier in
the employee's lounge, but not out in the store for viewing by the public
unless approved by corporate offices in Arizona.  And now that's just a
little bit late.
 
So why am I writing about this experience?  Well number 1) just maybe some
lady out there is going to be bad-mouthing PetSmart pet stores, unfairly,
based on her experience when she got mad.  Number 2) not all pet stores can
accept your fliers if you just walk in off the street and ask them to post
it (This is the only store out of the 16 I visited that had this particular
requirement.  Number 3) We are in agreement, I should think, that in a
situation where your request is refused, maybe you should thank the store
manager anyway, rather than leave the manager with a "bad taste in her
mouth" when it comes to dealing with ferret owners.  Ferrets get enough
bad press already.
 
By the way, I took one of my ferrets with me while distributing these
fliers.  He's a 3lb. 6 oz.  sable male by name of Grauxaen-san* ... and
wearing my antique World War 1 German steel helmet with the "I red-heart
ferrets" button on it, and Grauxaen-san on my shoulder (most of the time),
we were the focus of attention at all our stops.  I think it's very
beneficial to take a demo ferret with you when you go out soliciting for
free advertisements.  Most people just melt when they realize the
sociability of a huge ferret in relation to a man (or woman).
 
*Grauxaen-san is son of father Graunk-ichi and mother Xaena.  San means
number 3 and ichi means number 1 (ref. Japanese language).
 
Edward Lipinski,  Der Frettchenlustbarkeitsfuerher, who shouts,
Frettchenvergnuegen! [G]  Ferret Joy!
[Posted in FML issue 2259]