This may well be the last chance I get to add my two cents on the issue
due to time constraints.  For those of you who will get to the end of my
letter and say, "but you do adoptions, what is the difference?" let me
say this.  I require homechecks.  Notice I didn't say check, I said
checks.  Our adoption contract requires agreement to those and other
conditions intended to protect those who can't defend themselves.
Failure to comply is grounds for me and the authorities to remove the
ferret.  Our adoption process begins when you get home as opposed to
ends when you walk out of the store.  Letter to PetsMart following:
 
One more time I wanted to express my displeasure at PetsMart's decision
to even consider selling of pet ferrets in their stores.  Here is a
typical reason.
 
I have a shelter and do adoptions via PetsMarts adoption program.  I was
contacted last week by a young man who had to give up his ferret because
he had snuck her into his apartment and gotten caught by management.  She
is only a year and a half old and he was the third home he told me about.
 
He brought her in an appropriate ferretized cage, complete with new
carpeting covering the wire floors, clean litter in a box, food and
water.  What he didn't tell me and what didn't become obvious until after
he'd filled out the surrender form and I looked things over, was the new
carpeting was covering no less than 4 inches of old, molded poop, food
and shavings.  The litter in the box was Tidy Cat, scented gravel.  The
food in the bowl was Meow Mix.  None of these things are 'approved' for
ferret use.  When I asked about her veterinarian, she had none.  She had
received no shots other than those given to her by the 'farm'.  Also not
proper ferret care.
 
Let me shoot down the "We will try to teach our customers proper ferret
care" argument right here.  He found me in PetsMart.  He is a regular
shopper at PetsMart.  He is one of your customers.  He had my hand out,
"Ferret Basics", which is how he found me, which details proper ferret
care and why the above mentioned conditions (except the hidden filth
which he knew about or he wouldn't have hidden) are unacceptable.  These
are the types of people you will not be able to stop from buying ferrets
who are right now buying them at your competitors.
 
That is not to say that all ferret purchasers will fall into this
category, but even one is too many for my conscience, what about yours?
 
Sincerely,
Brenda Steelman
Pres. FurpeopleWeyr
Ferret Hospice/Shelter
[Posted in FML issue 4751]