I was in Petsmart yesterday...

[crowntaillove]

I had always held my local Petsmart in higher reguards than my Petco or Walmart because I've never seen a dead betta on their shelves, they all look fairly healthy. However, I was making small talk with one of the salesmen, and he told me that bettas can practically live in anything. He said his dad kept them in drinking glasses, and why not buy them, they're so cheap! I didn't have enough cajones to tell him how wrong that was. He was a dog trainer, so hopefully he doesn't pass on his betta keeping advice to other potential buyers...

[BettaQi]

Originally Posted by crowntaillove

I had always held my local Petsmart in higher reguards than my Petco or Walmart because I've never seen a dead betta on their shelves, they all look fairly healthy. However, I was making small talk with one of the salesmen, and he told me that bettas can practically live in anything. He said his dad kept them in drinking glasses, and why not buy them, they're so cheap! I didn't have enough cajones to tell him how wrong that was. He was a dog trainer, so hopefully he doesn't pass on his betta keeping advice to other potential buyers...

Oh my.

Bless their little hearts.

[teeneythebetta]

CAN LIVE is different than THRIVING.

A dog can suffer years of abuse and live (obviously depending on the severeness of the abuse, as is with bettas, if you abuse them to extreme they will die)

There was a girl who lived in a closet for most of her life, eating non edible things, only coming out to be sexually abused by her parents, and she lived. Does that mean she had a good life? HECK TO THE NO!

I'm not saying that child abuse is the same as abusing bettas, but it has the same basic theme- just because something is able to live in a cerain situation, doesn't mean it's living the way it should.

[crowntaillove]

I agree. Sadly, most people don't hold a fish's life in high reguards. If it isn't "thriving" or if it dies, then "oh well, it's just a fish."
I like to treat all living things with the respect they deserve.