In response to Kirsten's message yesterday about Petco and the plight of her
little "foster baby" Ben I would like to add the following:
 
I have been contacted by many GCSFA'ers about the lack of education of Petco
Staff as well as the callous attitude of Petco in general, not just toward
ferrets, but toward all of their livestock.  The most memorable of the
stories, next to Kirstens are:
 
One member relayed a story to me of how her little recent Petco adoptee
became very ill - not ECE- and infected her existing wuzzles.  This person
contacted Petco Corporate Headquarters and was advised this was an issue
she should take up with the breeder - not with Petco.
 
Another member relayed a story about how employees were afraid to put their
hands into the ferret display as they were afraid the ferrets would bite.
Instead, a dustpan was used to bat the little ones away when they tried to
get close.  Apparently, this was not "gentle batting".
 
Another, well ok, it was me, was an employee of Petco years ago.  The store
I worked at had no air conditioning.  Two ferrets were kept in a small
aquarium.  Did I mention this was Phoenix in July?  Fans were set up to cool
customers, but there was nothing for any of the critters.  All day long I
redirected fans to the critters.  Eventually, I was stopped by an Assistant
Manager who stated to me, IN FRONT OF THE REGIONAL MANAGER that the fans
were to keep the customers cool.  They could always get credit on any of the
animals if they were lost.  (Local folks, I refer you back to the Humane
Society "raid" on that store - yup it was me!  Sadly, someone tipped off the
store and they removed all livestock in the middle of the night, before the
Sunday morning raid.)
 
Still another, a non-GCSFA member contacted me about a ferret that badly bit
a manager.  In hysterics she relayed to me that the manager angrily grabbed
the ferret, disappeared into the back room and returned a few moments later
wiping his water off his hands with a towel and telling an employee that was
at the display that "That won't happen again".  When this contact asked for
the ferret, offering to buy it, the manager said simply that "He isn't for
sale anymore".
 
Prior to reading the posts on the FML, I thought this was a local problem.
I see now that it is not.
 
Apart we are flies to this large corporation, however, a united front may
do well to change the attitudes and treatment of the critters - ferrets as
well as the others.
 
My plate is very full at this time, and I can not be a leader in this front.
However, if anyone out there is interested in taking on this project and
creating a united front to go against Petco, I will be the first on the
membership list and will do anything I can to help!  I have been arrested
for being a tree hugger in our disappearing forests on the east coast, I
would have no trouble doing the same picketing Petco.
 
Kathy Goodhart
Grand Canyon State Ferret Association
[Posted in FML issue 2393]