>I would also encourage you to contact the BBB of NV, state regulatory
>agencies, the tourism boards, the city council, and anybody else you can
>think of.
 
Oh..please DON'T!  Let's be real here, ok?
 
If we start sending letters to every agency that has absolutely nothing
to do with the problem at hand, we will just come across as fanatics and
idiots.
 
First off..The BBB is the most worthless organization in the country.  They
have no legal power what so ever.  So why even waste your time with them.
If you file a complaint with them, they will send a copy of the complaint
to the business and if the business does not respond, Oh well...If that
business is a BBB member, the store will just say the complaints are
unfounded and that will be the end of the matter.  Don't waste your time.
 
Tourism boards.  Huh?  Now, tell me, what can they do?  Do you really think
that a pet store in Las Vegas will hold any interest value to a tourism
board?  No way.
 
City council...yeah..right...it is not their job to oversee or hear
complaints about how a business is run.  They will just forward it to
Animal Control or the District Attorney's office and make cracks about
the kooks writing the letters.  (They will hear you out if you propose,
with the support of a councilperson, a law pertaining to something going
on in that city...but..key here is, you must have the support of a
councilperson.)
 
State regulatory boards...will not intercede in city/county affairs unless
a state law is broken.  Cruelty to animals laws are generally city/county
in origin, not state.
 
What you can do:
 
Write to Letters To The Editor of the local paper, you can do this by
email, if you wish.  Contact the television stations with facts and
photograpahs.  (You can legally take pictures from a sidewalk, which is
city property, so get those long lens out and take pictures before the
curtains are put up.  Hint...use a digital camera as the zoom is much
better than the long lens of a film type camera and the light gathering
capabilities of a digital camera are far superior in those conditions.
WARNING...if it is in a mall, you are on private property so some
protection rules involving photography may be in force.)  Oh yes, when you
do this, make sure someone else is nearbye with a video camera to capture
the assault when the store owner comes out and whacks you...now you will
have a provable criminal assault outside the store..on tape!
 
Go to the television stations and talk to the reporters.  If the television
stations get 10 or 15 or more people constantly calling and making the same
basic reports about this pet store, they WILL look into the problem.
 
If Las Vegas has a locally produced news radio show, go talk to them....
(They should..even little old Reno has one...50,000 clear channel watts
of power!)
 
Health Department...very good place to complain..as long as you have facts
that pertain to public health..remember those keys...PUBLIC HEALTH.  IE:
Are there a ton of flies due to the dead, rotting carcasses and feces in
the store.  If there is a restaurant very close by, let them know to look
for flies and then suggest **they** contact the Health Department.
 
Interview the stores that share the same roof...find out if any of those
stores have noticed any strange odors, etc.  If so, suggest to them to
complain about it to the mall management offices.
 
And, as was already noted by someone else..picketing is always good,
but..if it is in a mall, you might run afoul of mall security, as that
would place it on private property and one is not allowed to picket on
private property in Nevada unless permission is granted to do so.
 
Best of luck..no. lots of success!
 
For our ferrets!
 
MC, The Rude One
(With Snorkle, Tuzigoot, and Bancho.  In spirit, Bubba, Billy-Bob, and
 Garret)
[Posted in FML issue 3242]