Well, who would have ever guessed!  Mr. Magoo and I were asked to leave the
L. L. Bean factory store in North Conway, New Hampshire.
 
We had taken Magoo in to see Dr. Johnson in Fryeburg, Maine and have his
stitches removed (adrenal surgery and surgery for the insulinomas?  on the
pancreas) and decided to shop for school clothes while we were less than
10 miles from N.Conway (has tons of factory outlet stores).
 
Mr Magoo woke up (after I had been in the store half an hour) and poked his
head out of the fuzz-buggy (recycled baby Snugli lined with polar fleece).
A couple saw him and asked for a closer look, before I could let them see
him a store employee came up and told me I would have to leave the store.
He said ferrets were not allowed in their store.  I explained that Magoo
had just had his stitches out, we had driven over an hour to see our vet,
and were just taking a break before driving back home.  I told the clerk I
was not going to leave Magoo in the car alone.  He repeated his statement
that I had to leave the store.
 
I was very polite and told him "No problem, I am school shopping for two
teenagers and I can spend my money somewhere else I'm sure".
 
I was waiting outside the DKNY (Donna Karin New York??) for my daughter and
son when their store clerk asked if I wouldn't like to come inside.  I
explained I was carrying a ferret in the snugli and had already been asked
to leave LL Beans.  The clerk replied that it was not a problem, they
didn't mind having ferrets in their store at all.  She even found a chair
for me to sit on while my daughter did her shopping (and proceeded to play
fashion consultant for her younger brother).  The clerks told their other
customers that I had a ferret in my carrier and I ended up bringing him out
to be seen and petted.  Magoo is our docile rescue and is very gentle and
people friendly.  I imagine it increased their sales to have people come in
to see him as they all stayed to shop.
 
Nautica also let me go into their shop with Magoo.  One clerk had left her
ferret behind in Colorado with her parents and the other told me she went
to school with someone who had a ferret shelter and rescue (Stephanie M.
in Freedom, the woman said to tell you hi, but I can't remember her name!).
 
Bottom line, I told the CKNY and Nautica people they could let L.L.  Beans
know how much business they lost (my daughter worked and saved all summer
to be able to splurge on "cool" school clothes) by throwing out a ferret
and its' owner.
 
I still can't believe an outdoor store threw us out and the "high-fashion"
stores  welcomed us.
 
Roberta
Windham, Maine
[Posted in FML issue 2452]