MISSOULA — They say there are plenty of fish in the sea, but what about all the aquatic pets that are not taken care of?
The Invasive Species Action Network (ISAN) hosted an event to help them find new homes.
Tuesday, the ISAN set up in the University of Montana’s University Center, accepting everything from turtles and fish to frogs and more. It is part of their “Don’t Let it Loose” campaign to keep pets out of waterways through education and events like this.
They hoped to reel in students with dorm fish, but ended up catching pets from all over, including turtles Yurtle, Tuna and Bean. A goldfish named Murphy was also surrendered.
“Murphy's a goldfish that was received from the local county fair,” said Sara Rickles, executive director of ISAN. “They get those goldfish when they're really tiny and then, eventually, they just grow to be nearly unmanageable.”
Fish like Murphy can start out small, but can grow huge and can cause huge problems. But, because many traditional animal rescues do not take aquatic species, it can be difficult for owners to responsibly surrender them.
“Let's say a goldfish that was received at the local county fair. If that was released into a local pond, because goldfish are in the carp family, they're indiscriminate eaters and grow as large as the container that they're in. So, they'll just continue to grow and grow and grow out in the wild,” Rickles said. “That's taking away critical resources from native species and can actually cause lots of problems from the bottom of the food web all the way to the top."
Many domesticated pets, like fish, frogs and turtles, end up being released into the wild. Often, they do not survive. Those that do make it can cause cascading impacts on native species and habitats.
That is where the rehoming events come in. Tuesday’s event alone helped around 20 pets get to rescues and homes across the state. With the help of the Montana Invasive Species Council, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks and lots of volunteers, ISAN plans to bring more events around the state next year.
