I wrote this on the 4-16-00 FML: >It would be helpful to me if a bunch of you would take a minute and call >your local ASPCA or Humane Society and ask if there are regulations >concerning 'minimum care requirements' (especially in regards to >food/water/appropriate housing) for pet stores in your area - and do they >apply ONLY to dogs and cats? Do they have regular/random inspections to >be sure the facilities are up to code? I can't believe it, but I did not receive one reply! I know there are people here who care, so possibly I didn't state the problem clearly... let me try again: I have discovered that, in the state where I live, the only requirement to open a pet store is that a person obtain A CITY BUSINESS LICENSE. That's it. No other requirements, no inspections or care requirements of any kind. We wonder why they aren't taking proper care of the animals or selling ferrets too young, feeding them the wrong food, etc? The local pet store owner here told me (quote) "I am a merchandiser, not a nursemaid.." He doesn't care about what is best for the animals. He cares about turning over his 'inventory'. In the back door, out the front...the quicker the better since his 'inventory' requires food, litter and manpower to clean-up after it while waiting to be sold. When one group of ferrets had giarrdia (known fact, I took one to the vet and had stool tested), he put the next shipment of kits right into the 'infected' aquarium with filthy diarrhea-filled litter boxes, exposing the new kits to the giarrdia! Yes, I had told him that giarrdia was highly contagious and everything should be disinfected. He didn't know anything about giarrdia. No, he apparently didn't care, because he did nothing. I typed and copied (at my own expense) information packets for ferrets and asked that they be given to new ferret owners. They gave them out until they ran out of them. They weren't about to make more copies at their expense and cut into their profits! I talked to the owner about the heat generated by the light above the aquarium the ferrets were kept in (the thermometer read 87-degrees!). He turned it off at the time I complained, but next time I was in the store it was back on. Having the light on better displays his ferret "inventory". If they are too hot to move around much, they don't dig in the litter box, etc and make such a mess. This same store owner thinks it is perfectly okay for him to offer the animals food and water twice a day (morning and evening) to keep from having messes from spilled food/water bowls, etc. The Humane Society cannot and will not intervene unless the animals are in obvious distress or appear malnourished. When they do step in, the owner makes the least expensive change so that his 'inventory' doesn't expire or get confiscated because then he can't sell them! Are you outraged yet? I am. I want to know WHY there are no regulations and what do we have to do to get some minimum care requirements for these 'merchandisers'. Do you know if your city /state has any requirements for pet stores other than a business license? Do they inspect pet stores in your area? Will you call your local Humane Society or ASPCA and ask those two questions? I am curious whether the state of Arizona is unique in their lack of regulations in this area. Please take just a minute and make the phone call and ask. Email me with the your (city and state) location and whether or not you have requirements (other than a business license) for opening/operating a pet store. I'll be happy to post the results of the survey on the FML. I believe the first step in solving a problem is isolating, identifying and illuminating it. I don't think any change will come about unless we are willing to stop 'just' complaining and do something about this! Please take the first step. Innocent little lives are depending on you to begin to ask questions. jacquie & the boys (Loki, Morgan & Turnip) and Sara the Wonderdog [log in to unmask] [Posted in FML issue 3026]