Re: NANFA-- Humane Society for Fish

Richard J Rego (newzoo_at_juno.com)
Sat, 29 Jan 2000 08:34:08 -0600

Though not entirely related to fish...we have the same problem in this
area with iguanas and certain other herps. The local herp society (RI
Herp. Assoc.) is swamped w/calls every week with people looking to dump
iguanas, large constrictors, crocodilians, or what have you. We are just
starting to see sulcatta tortoises becoming an "expendable pet". The
problem w/iguanas, is every pet shop sells them for dirt cheap. This
encourages impulse sales, and you can figure out the rest. It has become
so much of a problem, that the herp association kindly asked every pet
store in RI to stop selling iguanas, large constrictors, and the like.
The herp association understands that the pet store owners are in
business to make money, and a good number of them are members of the herp
society. However, it is the herp association that is the "end of the
road" for many unwanted species. Like Shireen said, if we had the space
and an unlimited budget, that would be great, but we don't. This is a
problem that will unfortunately continue for a long time, with many other
types of animals as well (i.e.: fish). We have got to work on resolving
these issues, because the "inner-city vegetarian, bunny-hugging,
tree-hugging, nobody should have pets" animal rights people sure are
working hard to make sure we can no longer own pets.

Is there any place warm on the east coast???
[shut-up Andy Borgia :-) ]

Rick Rego.


On Fri, 28 Jan 2000 20:28:46 -0800 (PST) Shireen Gonzaga
<grw70d5824_at_yahoo.com> writes:
> > Maybe NANFA should found a kind of Humane Society
> > for fish to give people someplace to "dump" unwanted
>
> > pets.
>
> That would work, if you had a warehouse and an
> unlimited budget. Fish are not considered "real" pets
> by many people. They're fascinating moving objects for
> amusement, totally expendable. Fish pet abuse goes on
> all the time--you can see it at Petsmart, in people
> who have not cleaned their tanks in months and wonder
> why the fish die, even at the National Aquarium in
> Baltimore where large Groupers are kept in confined
> tanks.
>
> I used to think about the logistics needed to set up a
> shelter for fish, like they have for cats, dogs, and
> ferrets. Something to do if I ever won the lottery.
> Maybe I'll revisit it if I ever become a millionaire,
> but for now, the problem is too overwhelming to
> contemplate.
>
> We could act as individuals. Take in unwanted fish
> amongst friends, co-workers, and aquaintances. I've
> done that in the past, and have found new homes for
> the fish. But I would not recommend putting a
> classified in the local paper. You'll be swamped. My
> LFS has been very good about taking in certain types
> of fish and even giving store credit in return--but
> not everyone has an "Aquarium Center" nearby.
>
> The *best* thing we can do is educate people--show
> them that fish are animals that deserve as much
> respect as dogs, cats, and ferrets. That's one thing
> I'm trying to convey at the school I volunteer at.
> Before I took over the tank, the conditions were just
> appalling, and the fish were close to death. After a
> lot of TLC and regular maintenance schedule, most of
> the fish have recovered and the tank is in fantastic
> shape. People are amazed at how little work--the key
> being a regular maintenance schedule--is needed to
> maintain a healthy system. Kids are seeing for
> themselves what it takes to provide a humane and
> healthy environment for the fish, and hopefully, they
> take those lessons home and practice it for life.
>
> - shireen
>
>
> =====
> ---------------
> Shireen Gonzaga
> Baltimore, MD
> __________________________________________________
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>
>
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/-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
/"Unless stated otherwise, comments made on this list do not necessarily
/ reflect the beliefs or goals of the North American Native Fishes
/ Association"
/ This is the discussion list of the North American Native Fishes Association
/ nanfa_at_aquaria.net. To subscribe, unsubscribe, or get help, send the word
/ subscribe, unsubscribe, or help in the body (not subject) of an email to
/ nanfa-request_at_aquaria.net. For a digest version, send the command to
/ nanfa-digest-request_at_aquaria.net instead.
/ For more information about NANFA, visit our web page, http://www.nanfa.org