[Part 1] From: john rich [mailto:[log in to unmask]] Sent: Thursday, November 25, 2004 12:13 AM To: Customer Service (SSG) Subject: MR. FRANCIS... Mr. Francis, my name is John Rich, and I feel I must talk to you, about "Petsmart's" 'test-marketing' of selling baby ferrets! You probably have, and will continue, to hear from Ferret Rescues & Shelters! I have shopped with my elderly Father many times in your store in Mays Landing, N.J., accross from the "Hamilton Mall". Your stores have always 'stood-out' from the others, as being very humane in your practices of selling animals, especially helping the local Humane Societies, and the spca! PLEASE, in light of the overflowing rescues in our area, do NOT begin to sell kits!! Ferrets are a very specialized pet, and "impulse buying" of these wonderful animals is very high! Being the special animals that they are, there are many "Ferret Forums" on the internet, which have live discussions, & posts for the daily issues! MANY people, including myself, cannot imagine your stores contemplation on this matter!!! "Petco", has suffered the loss of many, many ferret owners, because the aquisition of baby ferrets, is almost ALWAYS from the big 'Ferret-Mills', like Marshall Farms, Path Valley, & triple FFF! These "babies" are spayed/neutered/ & DE-SCENTED, way too early than is recognized as being correct! They are surgically altered, for two things, before they are even CLOSE to the recommended ages for these procedures!! You DO know what 'puppy mills' are, I presume, and 'ferret mills' are just as notorious!! Your practice of 'only' shelter dogs & cats being displayed, is to be commended!! BUT, any decision to sell "baby" ferrets, instead of welcoming local FERRET RESCUES & SHELTERS INSIDE, as with the dogs & cats, will definitely be met with a drop off of MANY customers who own & love ferrets!! Remember, that there is a very large market of ferret supplies, food, toys, vitamin & coat supplements, cages, beds, etc.....NOW being bought at your stores!!! This will change, if your policies change for the worse! There are many other places to shop for these products, and 'word of mouth', around the world on forums, WILL make people re-think their shopping locations for these supplies!! I sincerely hope that you and your corporation, will do the right thing!! If not, for me, instead of driving 30miles to your store, my supplies can be bought at "ZOOS", in Vineland, at the Cumberland Mall!!! I DO NOT shop there now, BECAUSE of their sales of 6-8week old kits!! Locally, "Family Pet Center" has closed up, after at least 20yrs.of animal sales, puppies & kittens, ESPECIALLY now, before the holidays, after a boycott about their support of 'puppy mills' & FERRET FARMS!!!! We got along w/o them before, and also do not NEED your wares NOW!!! Please do some research about these 'rescues', and come to the correct & humane decision on this issue!! monitoring the situation closely, John Rich Vineland, N.J. 08360 <<[log in to unmask]>> [Part 2] From: Customer Service (SSG) To: john rich Sent: Friday, November 26, 2004 3:25 PM Subject: RE: MR. FRANCIS... Dear Mr. Rich, Thank you for writing to us with your concerns regarding the sale of ferrets at PETsMART. We are conducting a small test of ferret sales because our customers have expressed a demand for them and because we believe they can make good and appropriate pets for those who appreciate and understand how to properly care for them. We recognize that bringing a ferret into a family is a significant decision, requiring dedication, commitment and time. We also are keenly aware that our good name depends on two things: our ability to provide pets that are properly bred, transported and cared for and that have a reasonable expectation of a healthy life; and our ability to properly inform prospective pet parents of the special needs of these pets. That's why this test is so important. We'll only continue if we can prove to our customers and ourselves that we can deliver in those areas. It's also why we've gone to extraordinary measures to establish a supplier who meets our strict standards for quality, and to train our associates so they can properly care for these pets and inform potential customers of their special needs. PETsMART associates are trained to educate customers about feeding techniques, daily care requirements and typical behavior patterns of ferrets. And we provide a comprehensive Care Guide to parents. The test will help us make sure we can do all of these things to exacting standards of quality. Part of the test also is to help us better understand adoption issues. PETsMART Charities already partners with several animal welfare organizations that rescue ferrets, providing funding and grants to improve their quality of life, and we continue to seek additional partners. Adoption remains a priority. We believe a balance of adoption and the responsible sale of ferrets serve the best interest of all ferrets, our customers and the community. Our customer research shows that we attract customers who think of pets as family members and care for them accordingly. Ferrets sold during our test period come exclusively from our own carefully selected supplier, are spayed or neutered, de-scented, vaccinated against rabies and have received their first set of distemper shots. We also will not sell them until they're at least [12] weeks old. As best we can, we'll be tracking the pet ferrets we sell to better understand retention issues and the relationship between these pets and their pet parents over time. Once the test is complete, we'll make a decision as to how we'll move forward, doing what's in the best interest of pets. We only will sell pets that we believe make good and appropriate family members. We are interested in partnering with legitimate animal welfare organizations or ferret advocacy groups who share our desires to properly inform customers and provide appropriate homes for ferrets. If you belong to such an organization and would like to participate constructively, we would be interested in hearing again from you. Please contact our Customer Service Manager, Jim Davis, at 623-587-2513. Again, thank you for taking the time to share your concerns with us. Sincerely, PETsMART [Part 3] From: john rich To: Customer Service (SSG) Sent: Friday, November 26, 2004 9:12 PM Subject: Re: MR. FRANCIS... Thank you for your reply, but there is one thing that I am unclear about......you say.. "...we will not sell ferrets until they are 'AT LEAST' 12wks. old.." Considering that your supplier is one of the big 3, (Marshall, Pathvalley, or Triple FFF), they are sold BY THESE 3 at 6to8wks. old, ALREADY SPAYED/NEUTERED, & DE-SCENTED, which is fast becoming UNACCEPTABLE AGES for most of the ferret community!! Are you saying that you will purchase them, and KEEP THEM 'not for sale' till 12weeks old?? I doubt that this is the case, so I wondered HOW you expect to follow through with your plans??? Sincerely, & watching closely, John Rich. New Jersey. [Posted in FML issue 4709]