Watch the Birdie

Cash-strapped filmmakers and theatre-makers take note: It turns out that Petco, the Walmart of pet supply stores, is the place to go for all your live animal needs.

A friend of mine, Claudia, purchased a canary a few weeks ago to shoot some scenes for her latest short film -- a nine-minute take on the Ancient Greek Daphne myth. Her partner, Rob, looked after the bird off-set. Petco has a no-questions-asked two-week return policy on all fauna. So after the shoot was wrapped, my friends boxed the canary up and returned it to the pet store in exchange for a full refund. The credits for Claudia's movie will list Rob as "assistant to the canary."

Also of interest: Petco offers free shipping on goods of $50 or more. I wonder if the deal applies only for products like dog chow and cat litter, or whether they'll mail anacondas and gerbils for free too?