Pic #1: Sep. ‘18 -Adoption day! Not doing so great but still hopeful! Seems to have some swim bladder issues, having trouble getting to the surface.
Pic #2: Oct. ‘18 -Better but still rocky, can get to the surface just fine but having problems descending now instead x(
Pic #3-5: Jan. ‘19 - Fins have grown back and colors returned! Swimming’s now A-OK! Yay! :D
Pic # 6-8: Mar. ‘19 -Today! Shes now a tough swimmer and a super hardy eater <3
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STORY TIME.
I rescued Leichi from my previous job last September. I’d taken note of her right before leaving on a vacation as her cup was off the display floor just sitting in a supply cabinet. Since that was.. obviously not normal, I asked if she was secluded because someone planned on taking her home later. I was told instead by one of the newer workers that she was sick and they were expecting her to pass any day now. As much as I wanted to take her then and there the fact that I was about to leave on vacation pretty much threw a wrench in that plan.
So when I returned from vacation only to find her still struggling in the same supply closet I wasn’t having it anymore. >:| After confirming with yet another fish stocker that they had no plan for her and were just waiting for her to pass, I decided to talk to my manager about just taking her home since she was sick and not getting help.
My manager decided to toss me a lie that the fish was totally being treated but that I was more than happy to buy it if I liked it so much.
I straight up told her no. I had zero intention of paying for a pet who’s obviously sick and certainly not being treated because I’ve already been told that she’s not, and only wanted her adopted out so I could treat her myself. She was obviously annoyed but more than anything “couldn’t be bothered” to talk about the well being of a fish, so just told me to take it.
Moral of the story?
All of my rescue bettas so far have been from pet stores. Ones obviously in bad shape that aren’t going to sell, or aren’t going to make it if ignored. Some of the rescue bettas I’ve had have been easy to get adopted to me. Others have taken more arguing on their behalf. Out of the 7 times I’ve requested a betta be adopted out to me due to obvious visual illness, I’ve only been denied once. (I still think of the one I couldn’t take.)
Do not ever pay money to a store for an animal you know is sick!!!
The way corporations sell fish is terrible. The way they deny their basic needs and feelings in comparison to other pets is vile. If I had the tank space to buy every sad betta I saw I probably would, but buying them is a huge part of the problem. Every sick betta bought has two more sick bettas take it’s place, but if more people pointed out these sick pets and stood firm on not giving stores a profit for them, they’d have to face the issue of deciding to stock less, and having the ones they do stock be fit for sale (healthy!!). I’m not going to shame folks for wanting to buy a healthy betta they’re in love with, but please, try your hardest not to give them profit for the sick ones. Instead point them out to someone in charge and offer to take them off their hands! Usually stores don’t want unwell looking fish sitting on their shelves, be polite and sound concerned and knowledgeable “Hi, I noticed this fish you have here doesn’t look so great and I judging by the way XX looks I think it’s suffering from XX, is there anyway you could adopt it out to me so I can treat it myself and maybe it’ll live? :( ” You’d be surprised how often just that works (though sadly because most people again ‘can’t be bothered’ about fish).
