AIBU to think that giving goldfish as prizes should be made illegal.

[Lonelylou]

A good friend of mine took her son to the fairground and came home with a goldfish he had won. The poor fish looked sad in its little pot and with my husband being a fish keeper I know they need declorinated water and filtration as tap water is poison to fish. It apparently would cost at least £50 to initialy set up this fish in the manner it should be kept.

My friend thinks that getting a bowl and fish food is adequate care.

Are adults so cruel that they accept these poor creatures when they didn't intend to go out and buy a pet in the first place.

I won a goldfish at a fair a few years ago, I naively thought I was 'rescuing' it. I did everything I though was right, cycled the tank* to build up natural bacteria (that breaks down waste), de-chlorinated the tap water, gently acclimatised the fish, provided plenty of in-tank entertainment. Poor thing only lived 3 months, I still feel terrible about it. I read somewhere that the lifespan of a goldfish can be anything up to 20 years and they can grow to about 12 inches or more in the proper environment. It makes me sad because the fairground fish are just babies really, and most people don't know how to properly care for them. They may be the most cruelly treated of all pets due to ignorance. I now think it should be illegal to give them as prizes, but also when people buy them in pet shops, they should be given a booklet on how to prepare for and care for the fish, and not just be sold them on the spot. (Policing this would be complicated though.)

Oh and at this particular fair I cringed and silently raged as one woman took 2 bags of fish on the waltzers! Elsewhere a young boy was poking his bag and Mum not saying a thing!

*The fair comes to town the same time every year, so I knew there'd be fish and prepared for its arrival beforehand.

YADNBU

YADNBU.

We were at Clacton Pier last weekend and they were prizes on the hook a duck. Poor things.

YADNBU

RSPCA can act if Animal Welfare Act says it's OK.

Your local council is the one that gives the licence to the fairs and they can make it an agreement for the fair NOT to give goldfish (or any livestock) as prizes.

Contact your local council about your concerns, Lou.

YANBU, it's extremely outdated and should just stop.

And I say this even after DSis won one which lived 8 years with us.

I went to a friend's daughter's christening. Every table, goldfish in jam jars. I couldn't say 'no' to my kids and it would seem really rude, so I went home, splashed out on a tank, a filter, gravel, fish food, decorations and ornaments, water weed etc; and the ungrateful thing died after five days. But we got more fish whih led to hamsters which led to dogs, so I guess it turned out well. I asked what happened to ones not accepted- she said she'd keep them or sell them, she has loads of tanks and is a fish fanatic. I asked the same question at a fair selling goldfish. They said they'd flush them down the toilet if they weren't sold. I bought a fish- still living and coming up to 7!

YANBU. I'm really shocked it's still going on as I thought it was illegal to. And I find it really sad that anyone has a "it's just a goldfish" attitude...it's called fucking empathy, go and get some

yanbu, but when does an animal become important.

how many of you would put down ant powder because it's just ants or kill a spider out of fear. spray fly sray because flys are annoying.

Maybe there is still a perception that goldfish are "disposable" because they do die so wretchedly easily. I am not saying I agree with this I am just suggesting this might be the case.

We have never had a fish from a fair but when DD was little we did get one from a shop and, like some other posters, tried to do everything right. We got a book from the children's section of the library which we went through together to work out what we would need. We got a tank, pump, filter, plants, gravel etc. Damn thing died within days (though it did survive long enough not to be covered by the pet shop's money back if it dies in 48 hours guarantee). Got another one - same thing. Third attempt - really trying to follow all guidelines and it managed three months.

The first time DD was very upset; the second time sad and disappointed; the third time when I told her I had some sad news this was greeted with "Oh has my goldfish died again?"

We gave up fish and moved to guinea pigs with much better results. The current one is a darling and is quite a venerable age now.

we got gerbils, but my fish are now 2 years old :)

Yanbu. There us limited oxygen in the bags no food either and in a hot day poor things r boil in the bag pets :( they wouldn't survive long enough to go get a tank :( all pets should go to people who have thought about it and set up appropriate housing and read a bit about how to care for said pet. You cannot just dump a fish in a tank and be done with it!!! And you certainly should not be walking around a fair ground with one poor lonely stressed fish in a plastic bag :(

I suppose they've even less chance of survival because they are babies too.

We have rescue goldfish and they are nearly 15 now. YANBU, people should only acquire goldfish (or any pet) if they want them and are able to care for them properly. Goldfish should live for at least 10 years and they grow as much as they are able, to up to a metre in length.

That sounds a good age for a goldfish sandberry. I'm pleased there are people like yourselves about.

Definitely yanbu!