I was going to stay quiet about this but I have gotten really angry. I was in Petco this weekend, inevitably I walked up to the ferret cadge and was looking at the babies in there. I struck up a conversation with an associate and he mentioned that they had a "big" ferret in the back. The guy took me to him, the fuzzy was in an aquarium all by himself with 1 toy. The associate then says that this ferret bites and that is why he is back here. That they have had him for a month and this is the little guys last week in the store. I carried around the fuzzy for a while (and sure enough he bit hard) I asked the guy what happens to a ferret if they cant sell it, and he had me talk to the manager who said that they send them back to the farm (they are not MF ferrets) "so what happens then" I asked do "they send the ferrets to a rescue or what?" He kind of shrugged and said that he was pretty sure that they were "put down, or sent to a lab". Another associate said to me that he doesn't think that the ferrets make it to the van and implied that they break the necks of the unwanted ferrets outside the store (I am not making this up). The manager was completely unresponsive to the idea of sending them to a shelter because he gets a credit when he sends back unwanted ferrets. I then asked about educating people with a flyer or something before they buy a ferret that way people know what they are getting into. Again he was unresponsive said that I would have to call the corporate headquarters to get an ok to put a flyer on the cadge. I ended up buying the ferret for a pretty good deal because I am associated with the thee GCSFA (ferret association) and I will foster him until he calms down. As it turned out I am pretty sure that the little guy is deaf and that is why he bites. I am just so angry that the Mgr.. was so willing to send him to his death, he took my number and kind of gave me an eye roll when I said that I wanted to know about all unwanted ferrets that come through the store. Does anyone else have and experience like this? Is it true do they really kill the unsold ferrets. About a month ago someone mentioned a petition against Petco and selling ferrets ( I went on vacation and I dont know what became of the Idea). Is this something all ferret farms do (I really don't know it the pet store has any say in what happens to a ferret once it leaves the store)? Please tell me it isn't true. Am I just being naive? Kirstin in PHOENIX P.S. I think we will call him Ben and he terrorizes ... oops I mean, gets along fabulously with both my cats and my ferrets. He is a happy healthy 3 month old :) [Posted in FML issue 2392]