>"Good" pet stores usually take obviously sick animals in the back to treat
>them, not just put them in another cage in view of the buying public.
 
I agree.  But I also want to point out that "bad" pet stores also take
obviously sick animals in the back - they just put them in the back and let
them die, rather than treating them.  To the extent that the pet store is
keeping an animal where it can be seen, at least people can keep an eye on
it and make sure its improving.  I agree that handling by the public isn't
likely to help make the ferret better - but at least the pet store workers
see the ferret all the time.  Often, an animal put in the back gets ignored,
or can get worse without anyone realizing it.  Being in the front at least
allows for constant monitoring.
 
>The reputation of the store is at stake.  They don't want people running
>around saying that the animals in that store look half sick.  It's bad
>business practice.
 
True...  but hiding illness isn't good, either.  I know of some pet stores
that take their sick animals out of the cages in front and then just throw
them in trash bins so no one will see them (my fiance has actually seen this
done at a pet store he worked at once).  So just because a pet store never
has sick animals in it, or always takes them "in back" does NOT mean its
taking care of them!  A pet store thats primarily worried about their
"reputation" for not having sick animals isn't necessarily a good thing.
 
-rochelle
[Posted in FML issue 1523]