PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT CHIP GALLO (301) 424-4652 CHAMPIONSHIP PET FERRETS IN RENO, NEVADA. Pet ferret enthusiasts from across the country will be gathering with their ferrets in Reno, Nevada on Saturday, March 7 for FERRET EXPO WEST, a 2-ring championship ferret show. EXPO organizers say this is the first major ferret show to be held in the West and hundreds of pet ferrets and their owners are expected to attend. Pet ferret owners attend events like FERRET EXPO to see other ferrets, meet with friends and to collect ribbons, trophies and other spoils of victory. The curious would-be ferret owner can learn from the long-time enthusiasts and see a wide variety of animals, cages, and accessories. Chip Gallo, Founder of the Montgomery Ferret Club (Gaithersburg, Maryland) and organizer of the EXPO, says ferrets are related to weasels, skunks, and other members of the mustelidae family, and have grown increasingly popular as house pets into the '90s. He notes that last year's Arnold Swarzenegger film Kindergarten Cop featured a sable-colored ferret in a starring role. It is estimated that 6 million ferrets are kept as pets in the United States. FERRET EXPO WEST is open to the public between the hours of 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, March 7, at the Reno-Sp Admission is $4 for adults and $1 for children under twelve. For more information, call 301-424-4652 or write to FERRET EXPO WEST, 1616 Forbes Street, Rockville, Maryland 20851. [Posted in FML 0200]