Pet owners who no longer can care for their fish or frog have a chance to find it a new home Saturday at ZooMontana.
Aquatic creatures like fish, turtles, snails and frogs are very fascinating pets for many people. But when they can no longer be cared for, they can be a threat if released into the environment and not rehomed, reported Tom Woolf, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Park’s aquatic invasive species bureau chief.
“Often times they suffer, struggle and die. But when they don’t they can produce new populations of invasive species. We have a number of examples of aquatic plants and snails and fish that have been introduced to Montana waters that become established and take off and out compete native species and cause all kinds of problems,” said Woolf.
Those needing to rehome an aquatic pet can bring them to Zoo Montana on October 12, for the Aquatic Pet Rehoming event hosted by The Invasive Species Action Network or ISAN.
ISAN’s Executive Director Sara Ricklefs detailed why rehoming is so important.
“Introduced invasive species can have all sorts of impacts. They can reduce biodiversity, reduce water quality and soil health, they can fragment habitat. They can actually damage infrastructure,” Ricklefs said.
Pet fish, turtles and frogs, and even aquatic plants, will be accepted for at the rehoming event.
“Aquatic plants can also be highly invasive. So if you have plants that you need to trim or remove from your pond or aquarium, throw those away in a sealed bag or rehome them, too,” said Ricklefs.
Non-aquatic, venomous or waterfowl species will not be accepted at the ZooMontana event.
For those unable to come to Saturday’s event, pet owners can go to Don’t Let It Loose, a group that promotes responsible pet ownership. Their website at dontletitloose.com can get an owner in touch with a network of regional pet stores that help rehome pets.
Ricklefs said the Invasive Species Action Network is planning on a rehoming event in Missoula in the spring.
