Our New Rescue, Carmel, From Horrible Treatment

[puppyduck]

Today we popped into Pets at Home for some airline tubing. I've kept well away from the fish section anytime we've been in there because I know it upsets me but we found ourselves wandering over.

I was shocked by what we found. An elephantnose was being kept on sharp and jagged gravel despite a sign on his tank saying he should only ever be kept with a sand substrate. Sick glass catfish, neon tetras kept alone. These were just a few of the problems we saw.

But when I looked in one tank I found they were selling female bettas. What upset me the most was that in Carmel's tank was a male betta, at that point in time he was flaring and trying to fight with another male in the next tank through the divider. I stopped a staff member, deciding I couldn't leave her in there because I've complained before about fish treatment and nothing has been done so I knew if I didn't buy her she'd be left to die.

I said to him very politely "I don't mean to be rude but is it a good idea to be keeping a female in with a male siamese fighting fish? If she's not ready to breed he could kill her." His response was a lot of umm ing and errrr ing, and then responded with "oh well we're not worried abnout them breeding or anything what with the rest of the commotion in the tank".

I was shocked at his answer. As he was fishing out Carmel, I spotted what appeared on first sight to be another female, but after closer inspection we realised it was actually a male.

So to reitterate; two males and one female kept together in one tank, with anotehr male fully visible in the tank next door.


I'm very upset. I can understand it is annoying for fish store staff when some know-it-all tries to tell them how to care for fish, but this guy didn't seem to have a clue. Its always hard to get served in there too as the all seem to ignore the fish section and you can sometimes be standing there for over half an hour waiting even when the store is empty.


I'm so glad we've bought Carmel home. Her fins are nipped a lot and she has terrible stress stripes on there, but at least she has a chance. Many of the other bettas in there were either dead, lying still at the bottom of the tank on the gravel, or trying to kill other males through the dividers.

I wish so badly I had the space to help them all. Sadly I don't.

I'll post some pictures of Carmel later when she's settled in. Poor thin wee girl.

 

[Bowling_Fleury]

Oh, I feel sorry for the other males in there!
Good thing you came along, you saved Camel's life.
Good thing there are people like you in this world

 

[Jaded12]

I can't wait to see pics of the little girl! Good job for saving her

 

[K.J.]

Bless her, it's a shame shops like that even exist

 

[puppyduck]

Pets at home can be a wonderful shop. If all the employees were passionate about their work and knew what they were doing. Several people on this forum work in large chain fish stores and improve the reputation of those stores because they know how to care for fish. Sadly theres always a few employees who havent got a clue.


Here's some pics of our little girl.

Hiding in the castle.

lurking on the back wall

and showing off her pretty blue bod!

 

[Phaedra]

She's beautiful, the poor little thing.
I would report the pet shop to the proper animal control authorities. If you call your local humane society, they'll give you the right number to call. These poor circumstances will never be solved by us all buying their stock of abused fish, we need to start using the resources available to us if we want to make a difference.