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Okay, I should be in bed instead of here but this is really eating me. I shouldn’t even say anything, doing so would probably be grounds for firing. I feel stupid, but I don’t know anyone else I can ask and figure you guys will tell me straight.
Some of you know I used to work for a no kill animal shelter. I was their vet tech and one of the cruelty investigators. I’d still be there if they were. Almost all of my jobs have been invilved with animal care, including the current one selling fish for a big national petcare chain. Unfortunately, there are no independant shops left in this area. Anyhow, animal rights (not the extreme PETA version, but the right to be kept an maintained in a manner which as much as possible allows them to live free of fear and pain, I’m not against pet ownership or eating meat/feeding live animals to other animals which must eat live when done as humanely as possible) is a VERY important issue to me. I feel it is terribly EVIL to knowingly act in a manner which would unnecessarily cause fear/pain/death.
Fish have since childhood been my cause celebre. I truly feel their protection, within my means, is a God given mission. I know most people think they’re mindless automatons with their unblinking eyes, slimy scales and expressionless faces, but many species have in university studies shown intelligence (even empathy some have suggested) equal to that of higher mammals and birds. One I saw (from Oxford if I remember right) said the fish being studied compared to higher primates. However, in spite of that, they remain virtually unprotected by laws and considered disposable by many.
Goldfish are my big problem. I love them; they are quite intelligent, social and long lived animals. They are also one of those considered most disposable. They are probably the biggest victims of any species of ignorance and apathy. To the point, the goldfish bowl. They are nothing but instruments of torture and death to a goldfish. Goldfish need a big tank (or pond) and LOTS of filtration to survive. Bowls should be illegal for goldfish (if not altogether), and are in some countries/ areas- I believe where GB lives is one. I WILL not consign a goldfish to torture and death in a bowl, I’d rather it go as a feeder and die quickly. So I refuse to sell them to people putting them in bowls, and have gotten in fights with some evil idiots because of it. Most people are just ignorant, and are willing to learn and either consider a betta (which can tolerate a bowl) or a larger tank.
Well, sales and profit is all that counts to a national corporation, of course, not what is best for the animals. For the third time, I’ve been dressed down for defending the fish, this time by the top manager. I’m the only person they have that knows anything about fish (not necessarily a plus- they said when they hired me they preferred people who didn’t know anything so they’d just quote the tank cards). They’ve told me to my face they wish they had more like me when it comes to my work ethic and reliability. I guess I can consider my job at some risk. I wouldn’t really care in other circumstances, but I’m the only person employed (out of 3 adults) in my family. Things are uber-tight, and the house is in pre-foreclosure (talking to the bank). There’s a reason I can’t buy things here anymore! Like I said, trying to protect fish is of vital importance to me, but if I lose my job (like I could find another in this economy haha) I’m not hurting just me. It makes me want to shoot people or break things to condemn a fish to such cruelty, but do I have a right to screw with my family’s finances by following my heart?
Thanks for following my longwindedness this far. I’d really value some input on this.
I wish the laws could be changed, but I can’t see how i could affect anything. I’m am ultimate broke nobody, no politician would give me the time of day. I did go so far as to write a letter to HSUS earlier (know i’d be fired for that), doubt they’d listen/care but it was worth a shot. I’d be willing to go to PETA even if I thought it would help.Honestly?
Don’t lose the only income your family has over fish. Or dogs, or cats, or anything else.
There’s a time and place for everything, and in your ultra-precarious position, were I you, you do what you have to do to survive and choose a better time and place for your cause.
As the saying goes: There’s a time and a place for everything, and this isn’t it.
I hate to say it but… I’m in complete agreement with Rusti on this one. Your family’s survival and well-being is first and foremost. Not that I condone the casual or ignorant harming of animals (I agree that a beta would be a better choice) You, as sole income provider, have the obligation, at this time, to keep “the wolf from the door” as my grand’ma would say. You are responsible for housing, feeding, clothing, protecting, etc. the other members in your family. Just my own 2 cents… Good luck with your home; I’ll keep you in my prayers…
twindragonsmum
tdm
thats a tough issue. I really understand where you are coming from.. i don’t know what to say, it sounds like it is almost painful for you to sell a goldy to some one wanting to put them in a fish bowl.
That must be a tough situation for you, Pip. Rusti is right – in this economy you can’t afford to lose the only income you have.
You can still try to sensibilize buyers to the fact that bowl are horrible for gold fish. You say, after all, that most people just don’t know any better and are willing to learn. And if you happen to run across a jerk who want a live decoration instead of a pet, I guess you just have to let it go. You are doing important work anyway, even if you can’t assure every fish a good life, by teaching people about there proper care.
Also, if you lose your job there, you’ll most likely be replaced with someone who doesn’t know as near as much about fish as you do, and more fish will find ignorant or uncaring owners.
Best of luck; I’ll keep you in my prayers.P.S. – Yes, goldfish bowls are forbidden in Switzerland. I’ve never seen one for sale.
I was exactly where you are right now. I was the Specialty Manager in a Petsmart, and was literally the only one in my store knowledgable about fish and birds. For a long time this was okay, because I had a General Manager that understood my ethics and agreed with them. For a long time I could ‘get away’ with refusing to sell birds or fish to homes that would just torture or kill them… it went right in line with the fact that Petsmart had a policy then that allowed us to refuse the sale of bettas to those that were clear in their intent to fight them.
Then, my management changed. The new General Manager was a snide little thing that was a manager at a Kmart before and knew only the Allmighty Dollar and did anything to make a sale. The fights we had!! He used to order whatever the flashiest animal was at the time, against my wishes, advice and overriding what I would order. He would order fish that would either die in store or were too hard for normal customers to keep and things such as cockatoos (which are one of the hardest companion animals to keep and should really never be sold in pet stores at all!) and would sell them to people that didn’t see them as anything more than disposable objects to please themselves with. I lost it one day when he sold a cockatiel that I had fallen in love with to a family with screaming children that just wanted to squeeze the bird.. and of course the bird got returned the next day, dead. That one still haunts me, because it was the sweetest cockatiel I’ve ever known and I’ve known hundreds of them.
But, just like you… I was the only one working at the time between my (now ex) BF and I, and quitting literally meant I would get evicted for being unable to pay rent. I had no recourse, so I gritted my teeth and tried to wall myself off from it. And looked for other jobs in the interim.
It’s such a foul state of things where we have to choose between going against core ethics just to keep ourselves off of the streets.
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My art: featherdust.comI would think the best you can do is try to educate the person a little, maybe recommend a book on the fish (that you probably sell in the store) along with the fish, and if that doesnt work, just make the sale. U cant lose your livelyhood over a fish. Maybe try to direct them towards a more appropriate animal? Im not sure, but the bottom line is that losing your job will not help in ANY way. Not you, not the fish, no one.
If you loose your job then the fish loose their protection. I totally understand the anger you feel and they’re not just fish, they are a living breathing animal you have a connection with. But it hurts both you and the fish to loose your job over stupid people, who will go buy from another store or just come back when you aren’t there and buy from your store. You do what you can for them by educating people and many people will be educated. I’m sorry you’re having to deal with this. My hugs and sympathies.
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Sun Dragon Koi #3Do what you can to help the fish. You said it was a God given cause… So you really need to follow your heart…
God will open doors…I have a sign in my office that says “If you think you are too small to be effective, you have never been in bed with a mosquito”! Have you considered perhaps getting a partner with similar ethics and getting a business loan from the Small Business Administration ( they are very big on women in business as a minority!) and opening your own pet/store? The tide is turning for people who are interested in environmental/”green” issues and with some research for grants, perhaps you can get a grant to do some research into fish intelligence/social habits/etc while you are operating the fish store. There are always possibilities out there to develop a passion. There is a book called “Do what you love, the money will follow” Many people have turned hobbies and interests into businesses that are profitable. You are NOT just a broke nobody, and you don’t need to look to the politicians to help, they can barely stay above water themselves. It takes time and effort to do this and you CAN do it with some direction, some research into the resources, and the passion that you already have to make a success of it. That’s just one possibility out of many that will open up to you when you think “outside the box” For instance, maybe the department of fish and game would be interested in helping you develop a project and pay you for doing the work. Henry Ford said “If you think you can or you think you can’t, either way you will be right”! So maybe focusing on the larger issue not about what this store is doing to help you feel helpless, remember you are not a victim, but the larger issue of what you ultimately want to do with your life and how you can get there from here. If fish is your passion, go after that! “You have all the gifts, talents, skills, and resources you need right now within you to make this happen, you just need to access them.” You can do it!!Think about what you want, start talking to some people, do some research, take some action. The way will open up for you. This frustration is a wakeup call! Please let us know how you are doing!! 🙂 :yes:
Think of it this way: you’ll do more good in the petstore than jobless. You can at least save some of the fish by informing people about their proper care, and while you won’t sway everyone, every person you win over is a victory. But if you lose your job then not only do you have no money, but they’ll hire somebody else who likely doesn’t give a damn about fish and won’t even try to help them. Maybe you can’t save them all, but you can save some of them, as opposed to none of them.
But I agree with you. Fish are sorely mistreated–they are not and should not be treated like disposable animals. I work in a lab, and lord, you don’t see nearly the same kind of regulations for fish that you do for mammals. Nobody really cares about them. But I’ve had goldies for years (sadly, they are in an undersized tank at the moment due to landlord restrictions, but I keep their water clean and aerated and will upgrade when I can), and damn if they don’t have personalities.
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