goldfish at fairs :/

[angel_love]

I've always seen the booth where you can win goldfish at the fair I go to, but it never dawned on me til today how horrible it is. It's horrible for the fish that sit in bags for hours and hours. It's horrible that these people win goldfish and take them home to put in a tiny bowl. If they only knew. I won one today and I have it in quarantine. I'll take it to my lfs so they can find a home for it, I figured if I could give just one a good home I would have done my good deed for the day....I wish I could have saved more but by the time I ended up winning I had already spent $15 on a fish I could buy at the store for less than $5. Those games should be outlawed.

[Brhino]

I understand your desire to save a particular fish, but you do realize that by giving them your money you are encouraging them to continue the practice, right?

[Honey Badger 1]

By spending $15 to save one fish, you supported their trade. They will continue this practice as long as people spend money and they make a profit. A better choice would have been to go to your city council and ask that next years fair not include the goldfish game.

[angel_love]

Eh, whatever they make so much money my $15 wasn't significant.....I care more about saving a life then giving them my money.

[angel_love]

I will protest them for next year though....

[leggomypleco]

I think what you did was hero tic. I don't know anyone else who would won a fish just to find it a home. A selfless deed you have done and I applaud you for it. And the $15 was just peanuts compared to the other hundreds or thousands who play this "game" every year. That deed shows that you have passion for the hobby.

[angel_love]

Thank you.

[Lady Hobbs]

Putting money in their register doesn't deter them from continuing this practice. That $15 you spend bought them 100 more feeder goldfish.

[angel_love]

Putting money in their register doesn't deter them from continuing this practice. That $15 you spend bought them 100 more feeder goldfish.


Oh jeez. My brain doesn't work like that....I could care less what my money does or does not do...the only thing on my mind was rescuing one or two of those fish that were there in front of me helpless in a bag. I couldn't stand to walk by and see that without rescuing at least one. I was thinking about the lives in front of me, not where my money went. Wow I thought I did something nice and I get beat up for it.


So in essence, if you walked into a pet store and saw a puppy in horrible condition that you knew you could save, you wouldn't buy it so you could give it a better life because you would feel like you were supporting the store? You would walk away and leave it there helpless to possibly die? Riiiiiight.....

[Brhino]

So in essence, if you walked into a pet store and saw a puppy in horrible condition that you knew you could save, you wouldn't buy it so you could give it a better life because you would feel like you were supporting the store? You would walk away and leave it there helpless to possibly die? Riiiiiight.....

That is EXACTLY what EVERYONE needs to do to end horrible practices like puppy mills. Give your money to people that take care of their animals, and their business will grow. Don't give your money to people that abuse their animals, and their business will die.

[Mith]

Hi angel_love.... fug... I just lost a WHOLE paragraph of reply.... but I'll try and remember what I said...

First, instead of spending $15 for a few fish you can win at a carnival, or go to your local fish store and buy a few hundred Goldfish and give them a good home. You have to pick and choose your battles!

The question I have is, what can you do that is the most efficient in order to serve your cause?? Spend $15 at a carnival (or where ever you saw these goldfish) or spending $15 at your local fish store where you can buy hundreds of goldfish? See? If it's about saving lives.... try and take a different perspective on your quest. What is the best thing you could do to save the most lives?

I'm NOT trying to belittle you for your quest.... but just trying to give you a little different perspective on your cause.

If saving lives is your priority, then do as I have suggested.

By the way, I commend you for your heart-felt passion. You seem like a good person.

[angel_love]

That is EXACTLY what EVERYONE needs to do to end horrible practices like puppy mills. Give your money to people that take care of their animals, and their business will grow. Don't give your money to people that abuse their animals, and their business will die.



Nice. Poor puppy. Die because you were born in the wrong place. Yup.


I would rescue it and take action against the store later....not leave it there to suffer.

[angel_love]

Hi angel_love.... fug... I just lost a WHOLE paragraph of reply.... but I'll try and remember what I said...

First, instead of spending $15 for a few fish you can win at a carnival, or go to your local fish store and buy a few hundred Goldfish and give them a good home. You have to pick and choose your battles!

The question I have is, what can you do that is the most efficient in order to serve your cause?? Spend $15 at a carnival (or where ever you saw these goldfish) or spending $15 at your local fish store where you can buy hundreds of goldfish? See? If it's about saving lives.... try and take a different perspective on your quest. What is the best thing you could do to save the most lives?

I'm NOT trying to belittle you for your quest.... but just trying to give you a little different perspective on your cause.

If saving lives is your priority, then do as I have suggested.

By the way, I commend you for your heart-felt passion. You seem like a good person.


I took action on what was going on in front of me. It's not the first time I've rescued fish from horrible conditions and it won't be the last. Just ask my pink convict I rescued from a Walmart, I'd say he's thankful.

[MuckyFish]

Earlier this year my wife won a 'gold fish' at a county fair but I refused to let her collect her winnings, was about the best I could do at the time. And my daughter was just as happy with yet another soft toy made in China to add to the hundreds she already seems to have.

I certainly commend your sentiment and your intentions.

If everyone refuses to take the prize or play at stands with Goldfish that particular practice will soon stop.

[WaMiss]

It is sad for the puppy that is most likely sick, but if you buy it you are only making room for more. You heart is in the right place, but if you take one, there is a vacant spot for the next and the backyard breeder/puppy mill stays in business. I won't even walk by the puppies at the pet stores here....it infuriates me.:scry:

[MuckyFish]

I'll also add that I commend your actions as well. Doing something is so much better than doing nothing.

[Honey Badger 1]

So in essence, if you walked into a pet store and saw a puppy in horrible condition that you knew you could save, you wouldn't buy it so you could give it a better life because you would feel like you were supporting the store? You would walk away and leave it there helpless to possibly die? Riiiiiight.....
Yes, that is exactly what I would do. Then I would walk up to the manager and explain why I will not be shopping in their stores anymore.
Despite your well intentioned action, giving them money only reinforces their acts, and gives them reason to continue. Only if they start losing money will they stop. By saving your one fish, you doomed many more to the very death you tried to prevent.

[angel_love]

Yes, that is exactly what I would do. Then I would walk up to the manager and explain why I will not be shopping in their stores anymore.
Despite your well intentioned action, giving them money only reinforces their acts, and gives them reason to continue. Only if they start losing money will they stop. By saving your one fish, you doomed many more to the very death you tried to prevent.



Lord. You're right, what I did was awful I should go slit my wrists.

[Honey Badger 1]

Admitting you were wrong is good enough, we don't need the drama.

[Lab_Rat]

Agree with Brhino. I most definitely leave sick puppies in pet stores and discourage people from buying them. If no one bought them then the horrible practice would stop. By "rescuing" aka buying the puppy you support those horrible practices. Same goes for "rescuing" a betta from a fish store. It's no rescue, you are buying goods that will be replaced by other fish in just as bad of a predicament.

[angel_love]

Admitting you were wrong is good enough, we don't need the drama.


Actually it was sarcastic, I think your comment about dooming hundreds more fish was dramatic.

[Cliff]

Sorry everyone, but I feel we all have done a good job of stating our thoughts on the topic so I am closing the thread before the conversation can get out of hand

[Brhino]

Actually it was sarcastic, I think your comment about dooming hundreds more fish was dramatic.

It's not dramatic. It's economics. You're not thinking critically. You're making a decision based on your emotional reaction and as a result you're hurting more animals than you help. That carnival guy took your $15, kept half, and used the rest to buy 75 more ten cent goldfish. Half of them will be die in his little bowls in the next week. So you saved one goldfish and killed 37 others. Good job. Just because you don't see it happening doesn't mean it isn't true.