As promised, here is the update from the earlier post regarding the ferret
at Petco that expired late last week.  According to the veterinarian's
necropsy report the ferret died due to "trauma related lung damage." In
other words, the left lung was intact, but the right lung had "suffered a
traumatic injury, possibly done in transport."  The injury was not new.  No
other problems were found with the ferret.  I have been in contact with
Petco's district manager and manager.  They have been very cooperative
and have kept the other ferret's in quarantine until the results from the
necropsy came back.  The ferrets are now out of quarantine, and will be
sold.  Because of this incident, Petco has agreed to keep in close contact
with WSFA and will be looking to change breeders.  The ferrets were shipped
from Triple F Farms in Pennsylvania 5 days before the incident took place.
I want to reemphasize that while this little ferret met a not so pleasant
end, Petco has been cooperative in working with WSFA.  It is only fair to
note that this is a big corporation, and each store is under a manager
and then a district manager.  It is best to start ferret education and a
working relationship with each individual store.  Attacking Petco at the
corporate level, I believe, will only lead in frustration and bad feelings.
Each store manager and the two district managers that I have had dealings
with have been pleasant, cooperative, and support our cause.  They want
to see that no harm comes to the ferrets.  If we approach each store on
a "one-to-one" basis, the old philosophy of 'divide and conquer' as
pertaining to Petco's policy on selling ferrets may succeed.  We have
successfully stopped three stores in the western Washington area from
selling ferrets, and this may be the fourth.  Not to overuse cliche's,
but you attract more flies with honey than vinegar.
 
Liane Novick Beckwith
 
Acting Director
Washington State Ferret Association
"Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre
minds"  Albert Einstein
[Posted in FML issue 2848]