It’s disheartening to see any price tag on a living being — but the low, low $2 price tags on betta fish are especially sad.
People buy bettas because they’re cheap, beautiful and have a reputation as easy to care for. One reason bettas for that reputation, National Geographic explains, is that betta fish have an organ that allows them to take oxygen from the air above the surface of water. That means they can live in water with less oxygen than other fish.
However, all fish require more work than many people realize and should not be taken as pets without careful consideration, National Geographic shows based on science — and many people, including me, can tell you anecedotally. My husband and I had goldfish for years, and they required a fair bit of work, including a lot more space than those cartoonish goldfish bowls indicate and water that gets dirty quickly and therefore needs to be changed frequently. Even with our hard work and good intentions, one of our fish died from a bacterial infection that, we later learned, he probably would have survived if we’d gotten better advice. Google was not a big help, and neither were people at the pet stores we consulted. Pancho was more than 10 years old, and it broke our hearts to see him go the way he did.
As National Geographic explains, betta fish also require more time and care than many people realize — so be aware in advance of what any fish you take in will need and have resources available before you need them, so you can act quickly if your fish gets sick.
Just because some animals can live in harsh conditions for a while — for example, with small tanks and dirty water — that doesn’t mean they should. Similarly, just because people know how to breed animals to be pets doesn’t mean we should (although breeding is better than capturing fish in the wild, as most pet fish are).
Petco and other stores have shown they don’t know how to properly care for the betta fish they sell. They often stack bettas near each other in a way that stokes their anxiety, and as PETA recently documented, betta fish often suffer and die from cold temperatures, dirty water and being shipped in too-large containers that put dangerous pressure on their bodies.
If you or your child would like a betta fish, ask around at work and school. Chances are you’ll find someone with a betta sitting in a corner whom they’d like to rehome with someone who has more space and more time, so the fish can thrive rather than just sit there and look pretty.
Please consider tweeting @Petco and/or emailing customerrelations@petco.com to ask the company not to carry betta fish anymore. It’s too complicated a process for a company that hasn’t handled that responsibility well.
Erik Lacitis’ article in The Seattle Times today about a serial cat mutilator at large in Thurston County reminds me of the pet pit bull who was raped and murdered two years ago in Thurston County.
The rapist, James Leroy Evans, was sentenced to just 12 months behind bars — and should be getting out this month, if my math is right. He can’t own an animal for five years. (You mean he can someday own an animal?)
Why just 12 months for such a heinous crime, especially when the FBI now tracks animal abuse cases in a databse after advocacy from the National Sheriffs Association citing studies and anecdotal evidence that animal abuse is linked with other crimes — for example, with Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer, and the “Son of Sam” killer David Berkowitz?
Because our state law prevented prosecutors from being able to prove “sexual intent” in the rape of the sweet pet Diamond in Thurston County. It’s a loophole that allows torment, pain and death to innocent creatures.
A bill sponsored by state Sen. Guy Palumbo, D-Maltby, was not even heard by lawmakers in Olympia this year, according to Pasado’s Safe Haven’s #MissionOfLight.
Let’s hope they catch the cat mutilator and that these heinous crimes lead to more than a year in jail. And if you’re itching to do something, thank Sen. Palumbo for trying this year and encourage him (360-786-7600) and Pasado’s in their efforts.
Please find your State Senator here and ask them in a short phone call to support SB 5094, which would limit dog breed discrimination.
You can also send a written online comment here.
SB5094 would require local governments with dog breed restrictions to exempt dogs who pass a canine behavioral test, such as the AKC canine good citizen test.
The original bill overturned some breed restrictions, but that lacked support in committee. The compromise bill is at least a step forward.
Some background reading:
A recent PETA undercover investigation has revealed horrific suffering of animals in warehouses at an animal supplier.
Reptiles by Mack supplies tens of thousands of frogs, lizards, turtles, snakes, bearded dragons, and other reptiles to PetSmart and other retail stores. The animals are confined in filthy, crowded plastic tubs and deprived of necessities like food and water, heat and UV lamps, and veterinary attention. Many emaciated animals had already died or were killed in lieu or veterinary care.
Severely crowded bearded dragons fought over food, leading to mangled limbs, some just left by workers to rot off. One worker said that he had cut off a bearded dragon’s leg with wire cutters and “snap[ped]” off their tails with his fingers.
Tragic video footage shows thirsty animals drinking frantically for up to four minutes when an eyewitness provided them with water.
Please tell officials that you will never buy anything from their stores as long as they continue to sell animals.
PetSmart
Erin Gray 623-516-3908
egray@ssg.petsmart.com
BC Partners Group (who own PetSmart)
london@bcpartners.com
If you about animals from PetSmart based on their claims of humane treatment or know anyone else who has, please contact CIDInfo@peta.org.
You can find companion-animal supplies at businesses that don’t sell animals, including small, local shops, Target, Walgreens, and online retailers.
And if you are ready to add an animal to your family, please adopt from a local animal shelter or rescue organization—never buy from a store or breeder.
While Australia declares war on cats with plans to kill 2 million cats in the next two years — a violent campaign that will not accomplish its aims — there are legions of people in the United States trapping, neutering and releasing feral cats to ensure they will not proliferate.
The humane way, as usual, is the effective way.
Entire colonies of cats have been eradicated with TNR, in Seattle’s University District and elsewhere.
For those interested in helping, the Community Cat Coalition of Washington is holding a free class in TNR from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 6, at the Snohomish Library in lovely Snohomish, WA.
A potluck afterward will introduce newly trained trappers to mentors. If enough of us show up, maybe it can be a largely vegan potluck!
RSVP to CCCofWaTNRclass@gmail.com.
More info at the Community Cat Coalition’s website and on Facebook.
Help Animals India is having its first-ever Seattle benefit for India’s animals.
Date: October 17, 2015
Time: 5 pm
Cost: $15 (tickets available here)
Location: Culture Shakti Dance, Seattle
Despite some of the best animal protection laws in the world and a renowned heritage of reverence for life, modern India is a country where millions of animals suffer severe neglect or abuse.
Overpopulation, poverty, pollution, superstition, apathy and ignorance all contribute to their plight. In a country where human misery and impoverishment remain high, the welfare of destitute animals is a low priority.
Help Animals India is a Seattle-based non-profit dedicated to improving the welfare of animals in India by raising money for dedicated Indian animal protection groups and advising them on how to improve their capacity to help the animals.
Join them for a fun evening of Indian Dance Performance by the Dancers of Culture Shakti, Indian and World Vibes Music by Dj Seanuman, Mystic Kombucha on Tap, and a Catered Silent Auction with Items from local businesses.
Delicious Food Provided by Chaco Canyon, The Shop Agora, & Cupcake Royale.
ALL proceeds go the benefit Help Animals India
Can’t make the event? Please consider donating – any amount helps!
You can find out more about Help Animals India on their website or on their Facebook page.
The Houses of Horror in question are Willard’s Rodent Factory (yes, it’s actually called a factory – how truthful) in Brighton, CO, and the pet store Jurassic Pets in Thornton, CO. A recent undercover investigation revealed horrific conditions in both places. Witnesses found animals languishing and dying in cramped, putrid enclosures filled with feces at Jurassic Pets, and evidence provided by the investigator did allow the Thornton police to raid the store, where they rescued some of the suffering mammals, reptiles and amphibians. However, the Adams County Colorado Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) has thus far refused to help the thousands of animals at Willard’s Rodent Factory, owned by Lynn and Kenneth Kubic. This in spite of the fact that law enforcement has had more than ample evidence of persistent, widespread neglect, abuse and cruelty for at least two MONTHS.
According to the undercover investigator, “the Kubics and their workers admitted to “whacking” rats and mice—swinging them by the tail and hitting them against surfaces in an effort to kill them. Hundreds of rats and mice drowned at Willards Rodent Factory when the tubs housing them flooded, while those who were ill or injured were thrown outside to be torn apart by cats.
The Kubics failed to provide effective veterinary care or euthanasia to scores of ill and/or injured animals—including a rat whose face was apparently chewed off, a hedgehog whose infected eye was neglected for so long that it shrank and lost all vision, and reptiles with mucus oozing from their mouths. Thousands of fish and hundreds of other animals perished—with many left to rot alongside live animals—and ailing survivors were routinely thrown into the freezer to die.”
Owners and management were fully aware of the horrifying conditions and systematic neglect of the mammals, reptiles and amphibians there and obviously didn’t care. How is this still continuing??
PLEASE, take 5 minutes and write (and/or, as always, call) to the sheriff’s office, and ask them to seize all the animals at the Willards Rodent Factory, and end their suffering.
Adams County Sheriff’s Office 332 North 19th Avenue Brighton, Colorado 80601 (303) 654-1850
And the general moral of the story is: NEVER. EVER. shop at stores that sell any live animals. Those little beings come from somewhere, somewhere that PROFITS from churning them out, and chances are really good it was a hellhole.
These animals need you now more than ever! Please call BCBG today at 877-707-2224 and urge it to stop selling angora and fur immediately! (Press 2 and speak to a customer service representative.)
Here’s an example of what to say: “I’m calling to urge you to stop selling angora and fur. As long as BCBG continues to profit from torturing animals, I won’t shop at your stores.”
Last year, at the Tacoma Rodeo, a friend explained to his 4-year-old son, who kept mistakenly leafleting protesters, how to be more successful: target the people in cowboy hats, not the ones holding signs. Thereafter Danny handed anti-rodeo literature to people in Western attire, telling each one “Cowboy hats get papers!” When we are engaged in activism, we all make split-second assumptions based on appearance: Camo Cap won’t sign my petition but Birkenstock Sandals will; Fake Eyelashes won’t give a damn about my leaflet but Pierced Hoodie will take one. Business Suit is going to say something rude but Fleece Vest will be nice. And I know from my own experience that we are very often wrong. Business Suit turns out to be a PETA member, Pierced Hoodie is a rude little shit, but Camo Cap brings his wife back to sign, too.
I was reminded of that when I read an article another friend sent me about Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa Co, in Arizona. He is known as “America’s Toughest Sheriff”. He also has a reputation as a racist and a redneck, and has been accused of abuse of power, misuse of funds, failure to investigate sex crimes, unlawful enforcement of immigration laws, and election law violations, amongst others. He has been found guilty of the “worst pattern of racial profiling in US history”, and his jails have been twice ruled unconstitutional. He is also known for his investigation of President Obama’s birth certificate, and his unending claim that it is a forgery.
HOWEVER… I found it fascinating that the following is ALSO true of Sheriff Arpaio, and I trust you will too.
| Animal Crimes Investigations Unit (ACIU) |
| Hotline Number: (602) 876-1681 Email: animal_cruelty@mcso.maricopa.gov Sheriff Arpaio created the Animal Crimes Investigations Unit over a decade ago and to this day, it remains one of the only units of its kind in existence inside a law enforcement agency.The unit currently leads the way in enforcing animal cruelty laws, some of which are still in their infancy stages, and in doing so, is helping to create case law. The unit’s work also provides an example for other law enforcement agencies in this groundbreaking area. Sheriff Arpaio feels the work done by this unit is critical for a number of reasons not the least of which is this fact: there is a significant correlation between those individuals who perpetrate violent crimes against animals and those who eventually commit crimes against people. |
Every year, the unit receives thousands of animal cruelty reports to the hotline Sheriff Arpaio established.
Specially trained detectives investigate every call. These investigations have resulted in the seizure of thousands of animals and produced hundreds of arrests since the unit’s inception.
The detectives are assisted by Sheriff’s posse personnel trained in animal cruelty investigations. Utilizing these posse members reduces response time and saves taxpayers money.
When an animal is seized from an abusive or neglectful owner, it is turned over to and cared for at our MASH (Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office Safe Haven) unit. MASH utilizes an innovative program of supervised inmates to care for the animals, thus providing the inmates with animal care training and therapy.
During the history of this unit many notable investigations have resulted in arrest. These cases have received local, state, national, and even international attention. Some such investigations have included:
When probable cause is established in an animal cruelty investigation, the suspect is booked into Sheriff Arpaio’s Jail. Exceptions to this are only made in extenuating circumstances when the booking is not in the best interest of the community.
Sheriff Arpaio’s Animal Crimes Investigations Unit is constantly asked to consult with other law enforcement agencies throughout the nation which are seeking advice on how to properly conduct successful animal cruelty investigations. Arpaio’s unit is also asked to provide training to other agencies. The Animal Crimes Investigations Unit is proud to lead the way in this field and as such, has been the recipient of numerous accolades and awards.
As you know, the University of Washington’s Board of Regents approved plans for a new Animal Research and Care Facility (ARCF) at the UW. It is now being considered by the UW’s Environmental and Land Use Compliance department, which can decide to NOT let the proposed lab plans go forward — and they are currently taking public comments. If they receive an AVALANCHE of letters, they cannot ignore them. So please, read the information below and then submit your comment to help prevent this lab from being built. 
THE ARCF WOULD DOUBLE THE NUMBER OF PRIMATES, PIGS, AND RABBITS THAT THE UW CAN TORTURE. It is SO important that it never be built.
Please submit your comments (and try to keep them polite, professional and focused) by this Wednesday, August 27, to Jan Arntz, Environmental and Land Use Compliance: jarntz@uw.edu