Hola Ferret Folks,
 
Here is my letter to Petco.  Feel free to copy it, edit it and send it
yourself.  I'm also working on a special T shirt for the occasion.  If
you are interested, please email me privately.  A handful will be sold
with proceeds going to ADV testing and research.
 
Kim at SUMS
 
Dear Sally,
 
The ferret loving community recently experienced a victory for our friend
the ferret when we learned that Petco would no longer use Marshall Farms
as a distributor of ferrets.  Our joy was short lived however when we
learned that the new distributor would be Animals Etc.  There is a very
famous ferret among we ferret folk named White Russian.  White Russian
came from Animals Etc and was diagnosed with ADV.  If you are not
familiar with this illnesss or White Russian's story, you may want to do
some investigation prior to bringing in kits from Animals Etc.  By doing
so, you will only be assisting in the spread of this highly contagious,
fatal disease for which there is no known cure.  I can tell you that I
will not even enter a store where ADV positive ferrets might be present.
It's just not worth the risk and there are thousands of folks who I'm
sure will share this sentiment.  Maybe it's about time that Petco starts
to rethink it's policies on carrying ferrets altogether.  How many more
little lives must s uffer at the hands of distributors and negligent
Petco employees for the sake of the almighty buck?  I recall a recent
sale that one of your stores had in California.  Over top a 50% off sign
lay a turtle, dead and rotting in a tank.  Gee I think that dead animals
should be at least 75% offf!!!!  This is disgusting and sadly only one of
many Petco horror stories I have either heard or witnessed myself.
 
There isn't a ferret distributor I know that I would recommend.  ALL are
guilty of the same atrocities.  Desexing and shipping at too young an
age.  They are, for all intensive purposes doomed, if they wind up sick.
There isn't a policy I know of that provides medical treatment of a sick
animal.  Everyone knows that they are doomed to be euthanized.  These
"policies" are nothing short of murder and if you don't think so, why
don't you take your four week old child, desex it, put it in a cold
crate, ship it off to destinations wherever and entrust it's care to the
hands of a group of people that are not only unfamiliar with it's care,
but in reality, just don't care.  A life is a life, human or animal and
it's time for the abuse and neglect to stop.
 
Do not insult me with a "form" response to my concerns.  Thousands are
waiting to here how you will deal with this issue.
 
Kimberly Fox
[Posted in FML issue 3850]