Originally Posted by celine18
well said! it wouldnt kill PETA to do a little bit for fish.
It's not PETA or the HSUS that we need to rely on. Giant organizations almost guarantee more harm than good. If they were in charge, they'd cull every betta in every petstore, just look at how many of the healthy dogs and cats they kill at their facilities anyway! It's disgusting! They probably think it's better a fish gets flushed then stay in a tank anyway.
The people who need to lead the way are people like us. Pet owners, animal lovers. Not animal rights activists, we want to ensure animal WELFARE, not rights. There is a difference. Animal rights means 'liberation of all animals', making pets a thing of the past. Releasing or killing pets that cannot survive in the wild. Animal welfare means keeping those animals alive and as happy as they can possibly be!
We are the people who are and will encourage and teach people! The change is happening, slowly, but it is. It already happened with goldfish, turtles, and birds(you'd be surprised how SMALL the cages that were recommended you keep parrots in years ago!).
Now we are teaching people about bettas, hermit crabs, and iguanas.. Step by step we're getting there!
Honestly it's forums like this that are helping! People have easy internet access in most places, and with the wonders of google(instead of the search and purchase of a book that might be outdated) and the fact that people are already used to 'googling' things they don't know...People are figuring it out! The fact that people come here, even if they come here with tiny bowls means they want to learn and help! They help their friends and etc. etc. word gets around!
I have hope! It sucks now, but it will get better! We just have to keep doing what we're doing I think! :D Already some pet stores are changing their methods! The big chains aren't as much(like I said..big companies and organizations..) but the stores frequented by serious hobbyists are, and the word is spreading.
But I dunno. I am naive about many things, and I have a very positive look on life for someone my age. Things will never change totally--that's like dreaming of a world without war and disease. There is disease of the mind and soul, and there will always be someone out their flushing a fish, the same as there is someone out their abusing their animals, the same as there are still puppy mills.. But as the 'average' population learns, things like this can be avoided. Everyone knows what a happy puppy looks like! That's how puppy mills are STOPPED! EDUCATED people see the suffering, and they fix it. People don't know what a healthy fish looks like--I've seen people think dropsy is just a cool type of scale that sticks out neat! But when people do know what a happy fish looks like..bad breeders and the like will begin to be stopped as well!
It will happen! :] If we make it happen!