Yeah, I wish people could think of bettas like a dog. With dogs, people plan before getting them, but bettas, not so much. Heres a current conversation I had with a friend not so long ago.
her: My daughters will be giving away goldfish for party favors.
me: Oh, okay. Rather suitable because they don't require heaters for their tanks.
her: Yeah, if they aren't chosen, they can just go in the trash because they are quite cheap.
me: *wince* But you should think about getting them a nice tank! After all, they do live awhile.
Then we spend a few more minutes debating weather or not goldfish live a long time. I walk away thinking well, they could live longer than 1 week if you knew how to care for them! Sorry for being so angry like but their are just soooooo many people that don't appreciate a living animal for who they are and think of them as "throw-away pets."