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To: President Donald Trump, The United States House of Representatives, and The United States Senate

Stop abusing Betta Fish

Bettas should be required to be sold in containers no less than a quart, and should be sold in at least a quart of water.

Why is this important?

In many stores, Betta fish are sold in the least amount of water that the pet stores can get away with giving them. They are shipped in three inch bags with just enough water to cover them. This stresses the fish and makes them prone to diseases such as gill rot, fin rot, mouth rot and many other deadly, irreversible diseases.
Yes, Betta splendens and other Betta species can live in small amounts of water, but it shortens their lives dramatically. They live in open rice patties, or streams that stretch out for miles in the wild.
In many stores that I, and thousands of Americans have seen, Betta fish are kept in tiny containers that contain just enough water to cover them, the containers are often filthy, and the fish are sick and have many diseases that include, but are not limited to: Ich, Gill rot (fungal or stress related), Fin rot (fungal or stress), Mouth rot (fungal or malnourishment), Swim bladder, and many others.
Thousands of fish are sent to big corporation companies such as Walmart, Petco, Petsmart, Pet Supplies Plus, and many others, and most Bettas that can be seen have ripped fins, the diseases listed above, or are stressed in general, which shortens the life span from two to six years all the way down to six months to a year.
These sick bettas are also priced high, which would be understandable for the rarer, more showy breeds; if it weren't for the fact that they are destined to die shortly after purchase.
I recently bought four betta fish from various sources, of which one actually knew what they were doing. Two of the Betta fish were kept in a container that was three inches high and two inches in diameter. Both fish are at least two inches long, and developed a spine curvature, so all they can do is swim in circles, which is detrimental to the health of any species of fish in the world.
One fish, bought at walmart was in half an inch of water, just like the rest of them. he was the only healthy one there. There ware sixty-seven Betta fish on display.
The last fish was sold to me from a ten-gallon tank. This fish was super happy, had been living for a year and a half, and was disease free.
Hundreds of betta fish are doomed to die on a daily basis at pet stores because of the mistreatment they receive.
Many people like buying these easy to care for pets, but get disappointed when they must spend anywhere from $4 to $20 on a new Betta every six months or so.
This is a serious issue. I DO NOT REPRESENT ANY SPECIAL ANIMAL RIGHTS GROUP, BUT I REPRESENT ALL PET OWNERS AND BETTA FISH ENTHUSIASTS.

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Updates

2020-06-19 13:42:04 -0400

50 signatures reached