Cover your eyes!

[LilMitsuko]

Thought I would share this story with you since it was unbelievable to me.

So I recently bought my little Betta, Nievus (Neevee for short), from a "home improvement" store in Japan. I find it funny that they sell pets in a home improvement store, but anyway. When I explained to the woman that I wanted to buy Neevee, she gently took him over to the counter and explained that she was going to remove him from the little container he was in and put him in a plastic bag so I could take him home. I agreed (what choice did I have). She turned around and began to transfer him into the bag, and I thought somewhat sadly/humorously to myself that they turn around so you don't see how rough they are with the fish. But I pushed that thought aside and said it wasn't true.

She then turned around and began to wrap a rubber band around the top of the bag to prevent any spillage. She also began to talk to me about things you need to take care of a Betta fish, etc. but I wasn't listening. My eyes were focused on the violently swinging bag as she wound the rubber band around the top. I watched my poor little fish being flung from side to side in his water, dizzily. I nearly had a heart attack and would have gone off on the woman (or taken the bag from her crazy hands), but she stopped and handed me the bag after she finished.

@______@||||| Why, JAPAN, WHY!?

I am so happy I decided to buy my little fish. Who knows what else they do to them when you're not looking. Poor things.

[Aus]

The muppets working in my LFS don't even bother to hide it. They dump the fish in the bag from a height after filling it with water from yet another tank (never mind acclimation), bang the bag on the table... it's horrible.

[FlyingFish47]

I guess in Asia fish are meant to be lucky and in some places good Fend Shui. So maybe the reason they sell in a home store? I was j6st in Japan too, tanks etc are so cheap I got a tank with filter etc for like 800 yen as a temp home for my new betta. No actual animals in that store though

[Kenny G]

The Petsmart in my area take good care of there betta's that are in cups. With that said once they go behind closed doors there is nothing to assure you the betta was properly acclimated to the new water temperature.

If I had to go by what I see for fish that is put into a bag in front of me they show good care. When I brought my cory catfish they used water from the tank they were in and even put a few squirts of water conditioner in the bag.

All the betta's and catfish never seemed stressed due to handling.

[MoonShadow]

So sad... I wish stores that sold animals would at least hire people that know something about the animals they are selling...

[Tikibirds]

There is a crappy petshop in the mall and the lady told me I could either pay $5 and keep the cup or put him in a bag for free. She was holding a freakin puppy in her other hand while she was transferring him into a bag. I asked if she wanted me to hold the bag. She told me NO, she needs to be able to do it one handed. I was like if you DROP my fish I am going to kill you lady!

[LadyVictorian]

I'm pretty sure if she dropped the fish and killed it I would have slapped her or punched her hard enough to black out. I don't care about assault charges, she would have earned a good knocking. Some petstores are insane. I try to avoid them so as not to support them.

[xShainax]

Petsmart employees near me are very careful when they transfer the fish into bags.