Hi, everyone.
 
I will keep this short since there may be updates soon.  Our experience with
the two Petco stores here in Huntsville has been...well, "interesting".
 
We lectured at the larger of the two stores in early December.  After being
assured that ALL employees from BOTH stores would be present, we showed up
and found only TWO employees (and one Assistant Mgr.) present.  We were
furious, but gave the lecture anyway.
 
In January, I made an appointment to lecture at the smaller store.  We were
told to show up on a Thursday because that was the night the delivery truck
showed up and that ALL EMPLOYEES from that store would be there to unload
the truck.  We showed up and lectured to TWO employees.  Again, we were
furious.  The manager said she had two employees out sick with the flu.
Hmm...does that mean that the entire store only has four employees??  I
don't think so.
 
However, the management at both stores has offered us the chance to set up
a booth once a month so that we can educate customers.  We will take them
up on this offer, but my main concern is educating the staff, since we
can't be there all the time to answer questions from the public.
 
Cheri Johnson said that we cannot condemn Petco as a whole.  Well, I
disagree.  I think that there are individual stores that actually care,
but Petco as a whole just sees ferrets as merchandise.  When I asked an
employee if he received any special training about ferrets, he said "No".
To me, this implies that there is no corporate requirement to train its
employees.  Maybe I am wrong.
 
I plan on asking the managers at both stores to allow us to set up one more
lecture.  If we have the same turnout as we did the last time, I will write
the corporate headquarters and convey my thoughts about mandatory training
procedures for their employees.
 
I will try to keep you up to date.
 
-Mark Zmyewski
Cloud Nine Ferrets
Huntsville, Alabama
[Posted in FML issue 2587]