I recently went to PetSmart to look at purchasing some Danios for my fish tank. I was totally dismayed and disgusted with the establishment's display of dead, dying, and totally unhappy Betta fish. These creatures can live up to 6 years in the wild. The way PetSmart and PetCo sells them, they are disposable and novel. A well-educated and well-intended pet store would never be the purveyor of animal misery.  I alerted the cashier about the upsetting situation and she looked at me blankly without acknowledgement of what I had said. I realize this person is not directly responsible for the mistreatment of these creatures, but it does not change my mind about boycotting these establishments from now on.

Please join me in advocating for change for these tiny and beautiful creatures. The betta’s ability to survive harsh conditions is its greatest strength but also the very thing that has led to its mistreatment.The ability to withstand less than adequate conditions is an evolutionary adaptation that serves to get them through droughts in their wild habitat in Southeast Asia. Surviving is not the same as thriving.

These beautiful creatures deserve better treatment.