>From:    Jerry Jackowski <[log in to unmask]>
>PETCO wants to help shelters relocate some of their previously
>neglected animals into good homes through their own (the shelter's)
>screening and education process
 
How many of those animals originally came from Petco?  Seems backwards
to me.
 
>If they are trying to encourage PETCO animal sales, that's a funny way
>of doing it.
 
Having the seal of approval from a ferret organization is a fantastic way
to encourage animal sales.  It's an endorsement of their policies and
attitudes regarding the care and sale of ferrets and other animals.
 
>But if you expect everyone to believe that the rabbit community succeeded
>in stopping PETCO from selling rabbits because the "community" did not
>take PETCO's money.  Then you better hang up your ruby slippers and stay
>right were you are!  PETCO must have used their hearts in that decision,
>because they surely didn't use their heads.
 
They decided out of the goodness of their hearts that they should no longer
sell rabbits?  It was not a business decision?  Then why are they still
selling ferrets when they have been in contact with ferret shelters that
are trying to place homeless and neglected ferrets?
 
>I don't know about you, but I buy a great deal of my pet products from
>pet stores.  Unfortunately many of them sell ferrets and won't even do
>so much as put a show flyer up or allow us to do any kind of awareness
>program.
 
On a personal level, I myself choose not to purchase any products from
Petco and to purchase as little as possible from any pet store.  Purchasing
from retail outlets that sell ferrets is not inevitable.  For me, it's an
important step in standing up for what I believe in.
 
>From:    William Killian
>>From:    "Melissa A. Durfee" <[log in to unmask]>
>>Subject: Petco
>>it's just the incoherent flailing of people who choose to remain ignorant.
>I thank you for deciding that anyone who disagrees with Sandi is ignorant.
 
That "it's" was referring to Sandi's "scorched" inbox.  I'll translate that
for you: people who responded to Sandi's post by flaming her privately.
And yes, I do consider flames to be hate mail committed by ignoramuses.
You should be more careful about how you quote other people.
 
>From:    petersen <[log in to unmask]>
>I would rather spend my time trying to find homes for the ferrets than
>arguing about evil pet stores and/or corporations.
 
But aren't they related?  Can anyone see a day when shelters will no
longer be necessary?  If we aren't making an effort in that direction
then the situation is hopeless.
 
>From:    Anonymous Poster <[log in to unmask]>
>My point is that a ferret show is a costly affair and if the cash
>comes in, you can bet that, except in extreme cases (harmful products,
>or very bad practices), you take the money.
 
Selling baby ferrets at six weeks of age, allowing unsupervised children to
handle them, giving them cedar bedding, etc.  are not "very bad practices"?
 
>From:    Sandi Ackerman <[log in to unmask]>
>It's obvious that the ferret community does not see the situation with
>Petco in the same light as the rabbit community did.  And so Petco
>will continue to sell ferrets with the ferret communities blessing.
 
And I find that terribly sad, especially with an electronic forum like the
FML available.  It's a shame that there is so little unity among ferret
enthusiasts.
 
-mel
[Posted in FML issue 2679]