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Don't shoot me please! Rescuing Bettas?

10K views 105 replies 27 participants last post by  dramaqueen 
#1 ·
But I need to ask a question that's been KILLING me since I joined.

Why do people say they are rescuing Bettas from pet stores?

I work in rescue for small animals, pet rats to be exact. Pet rats get just as little care as Bettas, and most times their fate is to be fed to another animal in a very scary and stressful situation. In the pet rat world, we boycott pet stores. We do not go in and buy every rat we see, to save them from being fed to animals or over being over bred or being shoved in a hamster cage for the rest of their lives. We do not buy our cages, food, bedding, toys, hammocks from pet stores. We set up rescues for people to adopt from, we take in rats that need homes from local sites like Craigslist (USA) or Kijiji (Canada). By buying them from the pet stores, we are telling the stores it's ok to stock them, because they will be bought. By emptying the selves of rats, we are giving them space to get more in to sell. Sure it's crappy for the rats left there, but it's slowing the process down. For every rat that is bought from a pet store, another replaces it.

It's the same with Bettas :( Even though they are horribly taken care of, in tiny cups of dirty water and barely holding onto life... by buying that Betta you are saving him/her... but you are also opening that spot for another Betta to be tortured. It's a cycle, supply and demand. The more we buy, the more they bring them in.

What I want to know is why do people call this a rescue? In the rescue world, we call this paying the stores for doing a horrible job. Nothing will ever change as long as they profit from their ill care of animals.

I dunno, just wanted to ask is all. I would much rather support non animal/fish stores, fish only stores or buy online. I buy the majority of my stuff online or from WalMart. Sure, I just bought Ben from my pet store but I didn't rescue him. I also bought everything he needed from WalMart so the pet store wouldn't proffit. They made $5 off me, not $100.

Please, don't shoot me!! But if we sit back and look at it, really we're just supporting this treatment right? Why not support a local breeder who works hard to take care of these babies? Why not buy everything at a store that doesn't sell fish in bad tanks/cups? Maybe they will get the point then?

*shrugs*
 
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#3 ·
I understand your frustration, and maybe rescue is the wrong word to use...true its a supply and demand.....you can't save them all....but it matters to that one fish you took home.......

For some people the local pet shops like the big box stores, walmart are the only place they have to get a Betta and/or supplies...not everyone can buy from a breeder or online........
 
#5 ·
It's a pet peeve of mine, too-- it's not a rescue when you buy a fish from a store. It's a rescue if you get a fish for free cause it's so bad they'll give it to you-- but even at a discounted price it's a purchase still. You didn't get a scratched up table for free, you got it for a discount. It's the same for fish. None of my fish are rescues, even though they'll all from pet stores. They're just... purchases. I buy at Petsmart and Petco because those are the places I can buy. I'm supporting them when I buy, and I know this. But honestly I don't want to buy offline and have things shipped to me-- especially not with how mail's handled in my area. And I'm cheap. I love bettas, but I don't want to pay an extra $45 for one fish to get to me in time.
 
#6 ·
Every Betta is deserving of a clean healthy spacious home, don't get me wrong. They didn't choose to be pet store or breeder bettas. Just the word rescue urks me I guess? You can take an animal from a bad situation but as long as you pay, it's not a rescue. It's giving up hard earned money to ensure the safety and health of a pet yes. But if you talked the manager into paying nothing and ran for the hills with your new pet, that's a rescue.

Don't even get me going on those who say they adopt pets from breeders....

I guess if you have no other option, then that's that right?? But those who do have options, those who do buy online but still buy at pet stores? Eeeeee. I know I bought mine, and I'll say that. But I don't plan on buying another in store and if I do, I do not buy the materials I need for the Betta. You should have seen the managers FACE when I told Ben "You're mine now Buddy, lets go to WalMart and get you a new home!" hahaha
 
#18 ·
You should have seen the managers FACE when I told Ben "You're mine now Buddy, lets go to WalMart and get you a new home!" hahaha
that made me laugh so hard! xDDD
 
#9 ·
I think when people say rescue, they mean they feel as if they are rescuing the animal from dying. (That is why I used it atleast, and mind you only one 1 of my 4) I have seen some mammalian animal rescues pay for an animal if that is what they feel they needed to do to save that animals life. We need to lobby for stronger laws, better enforcement and education, for all animals. It comes down to money in the end, and these stores won't stop selling sick and dying bettas. Trust me, my state just repealed laws we voted on to have stricter and more enforced laws on puppy mills to stop a few disgusting mill owners from complaining.
 
#10 ·
I know a lot of rescues that would never pay a company for an animal, but they would pay an owner for an animal if it were to save it's life. I know if someone had a Betta in a tank that was getting horrible treatment and was selling for $40, I'd offer a free home and if that wouldn't work, I'd offer $20 just to get it out of there. But that's not profiting a business, that's just paying someone for the tank.

Our pet store has stopped selling puppies :)
 
#11 ·
while I understand your point, at the same time, leaving them there to die is just going to result in them sticking a new one up on the shelf same as buying them would. the stores probably don't make enough profit on bettas for a few dead ones to even matter to them
and yeah, like MikiMaki said, I think most people mean they're rescuing them from a slow painful death
 
#12 ·
I meant more of rescues offering money to byb's for dogs that are in deplorable conditions. One rescue brought in this maltese b*tch that was only 2 and had 3 litters already, she was in such dystocia (trouble giving birth) to these poorly bred over grown pups that the owner (and I use the term loosely) gave her a c-section himself...and...well...not to be too graphic, they paid to get the momma dog from him and the puppies just to save their lives.

But I truly do understand your point as well, by paying for them we're encouraging them, but there would need to be such a massive boycott to make a difference that it's just not feasible. And I have seen some great big box stores with wonderful healthy looking bettas, so it's workers not policy.
 
#13 ·
I didn't rescue taiyou ka but I may (or may not) have saved his life but I payed money for him he was a purchase but unlike your "terruble petsmarts" mine isn't bad they change the water every day and have improved their quality a lot. Don't blame the store blame us the consumers we buy fish from their stores and continue to because we have no other way. Should that mean we can't keep fish? No we have every right to buy from those stores but honestly the only true way to rescue a betta is to get a dying betta and heal it not order a show betta online. There is no right or wrong way to buy a pet what matters mose is how much you care.
 
#14 · (Edited)
We don't have petsmart here, thanks.

Anyways, my point is... it's not rescuing if you pay money for a fish from a store. Paying an adoption fee from a rescue is rescuing.

I'm not so much saying people shouldn't buy from pet stores, I'm just saying if there is a better way, then why not use that? My main peeve is the rescue term being used so loosely lol

MikiMaki, was that a rescue giving money to save a dogs life, or an individual? Many rescues will pay minimal money to get a dog out of a bad situation, or whatever pet it may be. But rescues will not pay full price. At least any ethical one will not.
 
#16 ·
Purchasing the bettas from the pet store and leaving them there both have the same negative side. Either way the fish that was on the shelf before will be replaced by another. I figure that it's only fair to give at least one of those suffering fish a chance to have a better life. Sure, they might stop selling them if they see that nobody will purchase them anymore, but there will always be people who purchase these bettas even if they aren't meaning to "rescue" them.
 
#17 ·
I have not access to onine betta sellers and breeders. I rely on my lfs and my petco for all my fish things. sure ot would be nice to end the cycle, but its juat the way things are. you saved one from the cup, now make them as happy as you can! thats all that really matters isnt it? its the same with any other animal.
 
#19 ·
Well Pitluvs I do believe the guy was just gonna let the maltese die and they said no we'll take her but then he said he'd only sell her to them so they ended up paying, now how much, I'm not sure, they took the puppies too so he probably asked a bit.

I get why you don't like the word being tossed around like that especially volunteering for rescues and such.
 
#20 ·
I run a betta rescue and I take in unwanted or mistreated betta some I buy but those are my personnal betta and arent offered up for adoption the ones I rescue like Rainbow the guy called me and said come get him or im flushing him i consider that a rescue and a few of mine ive pulled from tanks where they were being EATEN by barbs i consider those rescues
 
#21 ·
Well some people "rescue" bettas from walmart because they see some stupid horribly raised kid shaking their container when the poor thing is already dying from ammonia burns and other diseases from the nasty water- so they take it home, give it a nice clean spacious home with real food, and far away from pesty kids yelling " mommy I want this!!! ". I work at walmart, and I know what really goes on at other walmarts- nasty tap water, being feed ONCE a week- flakes, having water changed ONCE a month in a tiny container. Its animal abuse the same all around whether its a walmart betta or a a dog that got the crap beat out of it. I volunteered at ASPCA and here in TX we had a lot of animal rescues from Katrina and abusive owners. Its really the same if you think about it- a defenseless animal trying to survive but cant do much. So imagine being a walmart fish-seriously. Just imagine maybe 10 mins or so. That walmart betta is no different than that katrina dog- both needed help and were dying, needing love. So yes, it is technically resucing.
 
#22 ·
BTW also you said above that its not rescuing if you have to pay for the animal. Our dog Jasper was a Katrina rescue dog who was also severly abused and we paid $100 to adoþt him. He was malnurished, had bad teeth, and was horrible afraid of people because he was almost literally beaten to death until animal rescue came and got him. We gave him a wonderful home with a big back yard, science diet, all the chew toys he can handle, and a loving family. So according to you, we didnt rescue him because we paid for him?
 
#33 ·
No, you payed an adoption fee that replaces the money spent on your dog until you adopted it. You didn't pay a fee that just profits an owner. Big difference. Your dog wasn't brought there to make profit.

Man you really set off a bomb with this thread....
Actually, everyone here is handling this extremely well! It's good to have some food for thought every now and then, things to make you think on here. Life's not always rainbows, there are downsides :)

Well we'll have to agree to disagree then. Because for me rescuing = taking an animal out of a situation without encouraging the situation to continue.
THANK YOU. Exactly what I am trying to say! In no way am I telling people to stop getting bettas, I'm just a little urked with people saying rescue when it's actually not. For those of us who WORK in rescue (Yes, I work in rescue, not volunteer. Volunteers are not payed and pay nothing to foster animals. I may not be payed, but I pay for the animals in my care not the rescues who take them in) there is a huge distinct difference in rescue and saving a life... and elijahfeathers said it perfectly.
 
#23 ·
Larsa - Would you agree there's a difference between rescuing a dog from a shelter, and buying a puppy that was bred in a puppy mill to 'save' it? Both are animals that need help-- but I bet you would never support the puppy mill by buying the dog.

Buying a betta in a store is like buying a dog in a store. It's sending the message that breeding them for profit and putting them in those conditions is good and okay. You seem really defensive about this. No one said you didn't rescue your dog. but you certainly didn't buy your dog form a puppy mill to save it, did you?
 
#24 ·
I-I don't know what to say to this. I retyped it four times and all I can say is:

It's a life. We 'rescue' them because is it right to let them die either? I don't think so...They don't deserve it just because some idiot multi-million dollar corporation doesn't bother to grow a brain. It's not their fault their breeder had 'em shipped off to these stores.
 
#25 · (Edited)
It doesnt matter to me if I had to pay to save it or get it for free. If life is being abused and someone is trying their hardest to help it, I personally consider it rescued whether you buy it from an over-crowded mill or adopt a wounded creature the streets. Life who was purposly made for financial gain in a mill is still abuse. Its very sick minded and its not the animals fault its in that situation because of some greedy human. Some mill animals are treated worse than strays. What matters is you are trying to give an animal a better life where it can be safe and loved, far from harm.
 
#26 ·
THANK YOU! +9001! My view exactly. Either way your giving an animal comfort, love and a home to enjoy.
 
#27 ·
lol thanks :p I dont tolerate animal abuse, especialy bettas- my fav animals. My walmart doesnt even sell bettas because they know what those poor water babies go through... :' (
 
#28 ·
Welcome. Me either which is why I'm so glad Akira was healthy when I brought him home and has just continued to be a joy. I only feel human in the morning after I've seen my boys.
 
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