Hello to everyone on the FML.  It's been several months since I've been
able to communicate, as I lost my job (maybe because I spent too much
time on AOL??) and now I have a modem to connect when I return home to
NY.  I am currently visiting my daughter in Pittsburgh PA and am writing
with respect to the local pet shop.  This is a pet shop where my
daughter Melissa bought our first ferret, Riley, 3 years ago.  When she
brought him home to NY for summer vacation, I bonded very strongly with
Riley and she felt he was happier having more room than a dorm to play
in, etc.  Since that time, five more have been added:  Murphy, Casey,
Taz, Beetle Baily and Tinker.  All are well and I'm missing them like
crazy.  I return home to NY tomorrow (Thurs.) with a heavy heart,
because the pet shop that has a truly wonderful reputation in this area
has been, for more than one week, displaying eight young ferrets in
their storefront window.  There is no awning and there is no shading
whatsoever, and these babies are exposed to the intense heat (it reached
95 the other day) and direct sun pouring in on them.  Not ONLY are they
behind this plate glass window, but to their rear, a MIRRORED GLASS is
being used to blockade them from jumping out of the storefront into the
store.  So, they're getting this greenhouse type effect on any day that
the sun shines.  I arrived on the weekend and, on Monday AM, I was at
the shop when it opened.  I spoke to the manager about this.  She told
me they got 'plenty of air' (meanwhile, behind the mirrored backdrop is
a wooden door with a latch, allowing only a few inches of air from the
store into the window, above the wooden door).  I calmly told her of the
danger to ferrets when they are exposed to too much heat, sun, etc.  At
this point, there were now six ferrets in the window.  I asked her if
the other two had been sold and was told they were 'in the back', but
had not been sold.  It is in the upper 70s today, and the sun is
shining.  I am only a few doors away from this shop and have spent most
of my visit to my daughter walking over to the babies and checking them.
 When I finished speaking to the pet shop manager Monday, she told me
she would call her 'humane representative' and ask if the ferrets were
in danger.  When I returned  to my daughter's house, I called the local
humane organization and they gave me the name of a shelter that deals
quite often with ferrets.  When the girl called back, she reached my
daughter's fiancee, as we were out.  She assured him she would call the
store and follow it up with a personal visit.  I also spoke to someone
(Jean, I think) at the Ferret Fancier Club here in Pittsburgh and she
said she would look into it as well.  Last night I spoke to Barb
Carlson, as we have met in the past, and I knew she wouldn't drop the
ball.  I have to return to NY tomorrow and am sick at heart over this.
I guess what I'm asking everyone to do is, if you can, drop a note to
these people.  If you live in the Pittsburgh area, PLEASE stop by and
check the babies and let your thoughts be known, as well.  The shop has
an excellent reputation, and I truly believe that the owner probably
wants them in the window to get traffic to stop (which, of course, it is
doing, because they're so cute -- when they're awake!)  I~m attempting
to get the owner's name, as I personally witnessed the girl that cleans
the cages, etc., sweeping the small window area and not being at all
careful not to hit a baby or two.  I also witnessed her shoving (really
shoving) a baby out of the food bowl (he was napping in there, not
bothering a soul) so that she could refill the bowl.  I feel that the
employees in general are just ignorant, and obviously they're following
orders from the owner.  The shop name is:  The Pet Pad, 5426 Walnut
Street, Pittsburgh PA 15232.  Their phone number is (412) 682-5105.  For
those of you who live in Pittsburgh or nearby, the shop is located in
the area known as Shadyside.  Now, this morning, I counted only five.  I
hope to whatever is holy that one has been sold and is not 'in the back'
with the other two that are among the missing.  On Monday afternoon,
after I had visited the store and (hopefully) they had been contacted by
the shelter people, my daughter and I saw a silver Jeep Cherokee pull up
in front, right at closing time.  She went running up to try and see in
the window.  There were two people in the front seat and one in the
second seat, who was leaning over into the back of the Jeep and was
'petting something', according to my daughter.  Unfortunately we
couldn't tell if the two from 'the back~ had been removed.  Hopefully
they were, and by someone qualified to care for them properly.  But,
today the five are still in the window, drawing a crowd as they frolic
around.   As I'm leaving Thurs. for NY, please direct any responses or
questions to me c/o my daughter, at the following e-mail address:
[log in to unmask]  She and I will be in touch and I'll get that modem
hooked up ASAP when I get home.  Thank you for any and all backup you
can provide on this, and a special thanks to Barb Carlson, as I know
she'll follow up on this.  I really and truly miss the FML and that is
the only reason (beside communication with my daughter) that I'm
reconnecting when I get home.  Thank you all for your help.  I'm sorry I
took up so much space.
 
Judi Lunn
[Posted in FML issue 1578]