Saved a Betta from drowning!

Arrgh! I'm still so mad!
I was at Petsmart today to pick up some food for Daphne (she finally started eating again) and my brother and I went to have a look at the poor little ones in the cups. When we went over we saw 4 Iraqis teenage boys about 14 yrs old standing around them. They were giggling and I knew something was wrong. They walked away as soon as they saw me coming and I looked and saw one of the poor little male crowntails (a tiny one barely 3 months old) was pinned to the bottom of the cup with a pair of small scissors in his tail! I thought he was dead at first. He wasn't moving. I quickly opened the cup and removed the scissors and he went up for air right away and then sank again looking very frightened. I was FURIOUS!!! I brought him and the scissors to a girl working in the fish dept. and told her what happened. She was very upset and told her supervisor and two other female employees. We found the idiot boys and they all approached them and ripped them all a new one! The boys left immediately but not before punching a reptile tank and scaring the poor lizards half to death! I had to be held back to keep me from attacking these #!$%@%!! I would have put those scissors in one of their eyes for sure! The girls who worked there felt the same way but couldn't do much or they'd lose their jobs. They said to me later "I wish you'd have kicked their a$$es" They couldn't believe anyone could be so cruel as to hurt a sweet little baby Betta.
I already have a full house (more than full) or I would have taken the little guy home with me but I couldn't. They took him into the back room and gave him some methlyne blue and let him have some quiet time for a day or two away from ignorant customers. Hopefully he'll be alright. He was pretty badly stressed and frightened. I think they were trying to cut his tail off but I interupted them before they could (Thank GOD!!). The employees there were worried about him and I'm sure they'll do the best they can for him for now. I'll probably check in on him in a few days. I'm already looking around for any possible space for another tank or even a large bowl like Rocky's. I hate the thought of him ending up in some kid's room in a tiny bowl after what he's been through.

 

UN- REAL! Those little punks better have some karma coming their way. Just a bunch of low-lifes who hate themselves who have to be bullies to make their pitiful lives seem better. At least they are hollow and empty on the inside. Glad you caught them in time, but it makes me so furious to hear of anyone doing that.

 

Good job. But I don't think I would have ripped them a new one. I would have been wanted for murder or at least attempted murder and maybe a little of hate crimes. They are very lucky you were able to be held back, because I am much stronger then both of my parents and much faster then them too, so they wouldn't have been able to catch me. Those jerks would have never seen it coming.
Tom

 

Oh I would have been arrested for at least assault causing bodily harm for sure. Maybe they'd liked if some one cute their "tails" off. What the heck is wrong with some people ???

 

I think those boys need their tails cut off alright and I mean the tail on top of their neck, but maybe I'm just crazy. Some kids dumped shampoo into the goldfish tanks at the local Walmart. I wish I had caught them before 100 fish were killed. To have lived in Walmart and killed by shampoo. I know exactly how you feel. I don't think karma can make up for acts like that.

 

I do most definitely understand the upset and anger involved in this situation. We must be very careful in how we use language here though as we do have members who are as young as 10 and also many members allow their children to read this forum. So as angry as you get, please do be careful when you post to keep things wholesome for little eyes and ears.
Thank you, phlox for your quick action and saving this little one. Humanity loses a lot when they abuse creatures that cannot help themselves for no reason at all.

Rose

 

That poor baby! That is awesome that the store employees didn't just say "Yeah whatever" and ignore it. It's rare to find employees who actually pay attention to and care about the fishes (especially bettas) at PetSmart. I hope he recovers and finds a loving home with a spacious tank.

 

Phlox you must have a sixth sense when it comes to betta welfare after all the lttle guys you have been in the right place at the right time to so rescue.

What an awful thing for you have witnessed, the poor little mite! I have always said I love animals more than humans and as I get older the more I hear about some humans behaviour the greater I feel this!! It gives me faith though that this site has shown me that there are kind loving humans out there too.

Well done Phlox. Can you imagine what it would be like if we all lived close and met up once a week for lunch and a trip to the pets stores!!! We would be like the A Team!! ( can I be Murdoch!!?? my mates think i'm mad so!!!)

 

:'( that nearly brang a tear to my eye why would people be so cruel

Peace Out Callum!

 

HI Phlox...
that is such an awful thing.. it never surprises me what cruel people can do!
My question is, why didnt the employees of Petsmart have these kids arrested for animal cruelty? They had every right to call the police in on this matter and yet they just let them walk out of the store?
~ kate

 

I think those boys need their tails cut off alright and I mean the tail on top of their neck, but maybe I'm just crazy. Some kids dumped shampoo into the goldfish tanks at the local Walmart. I wish I had caught them before 100 fish were killed. To have lived in Walmart and killed by shampoo. I know exactly how you feel. I don't think karma can make up for acts like that.

Or cut off that ugly growth coming out of their neck. lol
Tom

 

Or cut off that ugly growth coming out of their neck. lol
Tom

I agree, that would be my choice of punishment!

Unfortunately, none of us, including me, saw them actually do anything except when they were banging on the reptile tanks and bird and hamster cages. I KNOW it was them that did it, but unless I have proof there is little you can do. Besides, the animal cruelty laws here in Canada are absolutely pathetic! These boys were about 13-14 years old. They could murder an entire family and be out of juvenile detention by the time they are 18 with their records SEALED! Whole life ahead of them. If young offenders can get away with mass murder, what do you think they'd do to them for abusing a fish in a pet store? The judge would laugh it off as a "boyish prank" and tell the store they wasted his time with this.
Sadly this kind of goes on every day and even far worse things to all kinds of animals! I would have an automatic death sentence for anyone over the age of 7 commiting acts of cruelty to animals, but I don't make the rules. Some people are truly born without a soul or a conscience and are pure evil. Just because they are kids does not make them worthy of mercy IMO. They will grow up to be psychopaths either way.

 

But if you think about it, they are just the same type of thing there parents would have done since they have been living with them their whole life and the parents have a huge influence. What part of Canada are you in?
Tom

 

Oh, that's awful Phlox. That poor little Betta was probably wondering what was happening and why he couldn't move.You were there at the right time to save his life. Great job!

You have to remember though that even though these kids were in their early teens yeah they should know better then to do something like that, but at the same time if they aren't raised properly by their parents and disciplined then they are going to get away with everything. It's the parents fault for not teaching them to respect other people and animals.

Parents now a days are afraid to discipline their children because of the child abuse laws and such. There is nothing wrong with a good spanking on the butt, but they are just too afraid of doing it because of child abuse. They send them to their rooms instead which is fine as long as you take the T.V,phones,and video games away. If you don't do that then there is no lesson learned because they are happily playing or watching T.V.

IMO everything a child does is off the reflection of their parents.
natalie

 

have you been back to check on the little one?

 

Natalie you are soooo right!!! Such a shame though.

 

they'd make such great terrorists.. what a gang of evil little scum! I'd ship them back to their home country!

 

I tried to answer your post in a politically correct uk way but!!!

We all have different cultures and see animals in different ways...........ok!!

However i'm with you Dave, get shut of bad news!

At the same time I don't feel it is fair to blanket a nation/culture as being a bunch of morons by the actions of many that have shown such cruelty. The Uk and Us are just as bad.

Worldwide there are great loving caring pet owners and that it something to be thankful for.........