PETITION TARGET: U.S. Congress
At least 100 helpless betta fish were thrown away like garbage and left to die slowly behind a Petsmart store in Idaho, according to a content creator who discovered the fish and documented it in a viral video on TikTok. In spite of the horrifying pain that the fish likely endured, Petsmart told the New York Post that the incident was an oversight and has not faced any charges. Unfortunately, this kind of cruelty toward cold-blooded animals is all too common — largely because United States federal law does not count them as animals at all.
Under the existing Animal Welfare Act (AWA), fish, tortoises, snakes, and other cold-blooded animals who live in family households are not shielded from mistreatment and neglect. U.S. Representative Betty McCollum is taking action to change that by introducing a new amendment to the AWA, according to a press release from McCollum.
If passed, the Cold-blooded Animal Research and Exhibition Act would count cold-blooded creatures as animals under the existing regulations of the Animal Welfare Act. The original act, created in 1966, defines an animal as “live dogs, cats, monkeys (nonhuman primate mammals), guinea pigs, hamsters, and rabbits.”
In spite of this, ectotherms — commonly known as cold-blooded animals — constitute 99% of the world’s species population.
These animals, such as fish, are sentient beings who feel pain like warm-blooded creatures, and they deserve the same protection from abuse as a canine or feline companion animal.
The lack of protections for cold-blooded animals is even more disturbing in light of recent news concerning the alleged mistreatment of sharks, fish, and other creatures living in aquariums. ABC News claims that one such aquarium — SeaQuest — has received at least 80 citations in a five-year period “for issues ranging from human injuries, potential disease hazards, the inadequate care of animals and, in some cases, conditions that lead to animal deaths.” The conditions include overcrowding, poor water quality and temperatures, and lack of medical attention, all of which can be detrimental to the health and well-being of these animals.
Sign our petition urging the U.S. Congress to vote in favor of the Cold-blooded Animal Research and Exhibition Act to protect all cold-blooded species and provide safeguards against future mistreatment.
