>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. In most areas, the only thing needed to open any store is the proper license/licenses. A building safety inspection is needed, but that really deals more with having clearly marked exits, fire extinguishers, and smoke detectors. As for your local petstore owner - his philosophy is wrong. A healthy, alert, clean, active animal is much easier to sell (meaning higher profits), than a sickly, lethargic, dirty animal. It is a simple matter of good economics. A wise pet shop owner would not keep his ferrets in an aquarium, but rather in a ferret cage. Why? The goal is to sell the ferret AND cage. There is no better marketing technique than having the ferrets in the cage you want to sell - of course, a savvy merchant would also have hammocks and other ferret products in the cage to entice customers to buy that merchandise. An even wiser petstore owner would have a combo price for the ferret/cage/and basic supplies that is cheaper than buying everything separately. A little more work to be sure, but the potential for profits is higher, too. Business owners are generally more open to helpful suggestions to increase profits than they are to lectures from what they see as a "know-it-all." That said, you need to understand that in most areas, the Humane Society is a volunteer organization with no real power to do much of anything. And Animal Control, while an arm of the local government, is usually the local agency with the smallest budget, and limited manpower. Because of this, Animal Control officers are usually limited to pursuing the most blatant cases of abuse. So, in cases where there are sick and dirty animals, what can be done? A lot - if you look at alternative solutions. Dirty pet store conditions can be a public health and safety issue - document the cases of disease and approach the local Health Department and local media with the documentation. Take the proof you have to City and County Council meetings and explain your concerns AS a public health issue as well as a pet safety issue. Describe how unhealthy pets being brought into the home can cause illness among the human population - especially children. How many people would want to expose their children to the risk of illness because of buying a pet from a bad store? Think of your objective as a marketing strategy and not as a Crusade for animal rights/safety. If one message isn't selling and the product is good, change the message. [Posted in FML issue 3027]