I'm an animal lover. I always have been. My two sons also share my love for furry critters...and not so furry pets. Over the years, we've had dogs, cats, guinea pigs, rabbits, and various reptiles share our home.

I believe every kid should have a pet. However, there were times when my kids tried talking me into a pet I wasn't so enthusiastic about. There was the rat I refused to let in my home. And then my ex-wife drew the line at a ball python, and a bearded dragon.

So when I saw this story I had to wonder how excited the mom really was about her daughter writing a letter to Petco.

She's eight-years-old. And wrote a letter to Petco asking for a hamster. She said she was in 2nd grade, and wanted one because she'd never had a pet before. And if she got one, she'd "do better in school, make more friends, and become more responsible." Which is probably the same argument she made with her mom...but got shut down!

Her teacher helped her look up the address for the nearest Petco, and they mailed it. But it turned out the teacher looked up the wrong address. And instead of Petco, they sent it to a utility company called PEPCO, which stands for Potomac Electric Power Company.

But as luck would have it, a guy in their customer service department opened the letter. And apparently he's very dedicated to his job. Because instead of tossing it or sending it back, he and a coworker decided to help her out. They got in touch with someone at Petco and told them about the letter. Then Petco got hold of the little girl...and they gave her a hamster, and a free cage for it.

Her mom says she's wanted a hamster for a while, and she's been reading about how to take care of them for two years. So obviously she's thrilled. I'm still not convinced mom feels the same way.

More From 97.5 WOKQ