Petco Double-tail Betta Fraud
As a betta enthusiast, I like swinging through Petco and looking at their ever-changing supply of Siamese fighting fish. For the last few years, Petco has gone far beyond the typical veiltail varieties of fish and now sells several other forms, including crowntail, delta, halfmoon, double-tail and “king” varities of betta fish. Most of these are far from show-quality, but many are surprisingly well-bred.
Unfortunately, the last time I was in Petco, I saw that at least one of their “double-tail” bettas wasn't a double-tail betta at all. He was clearly a half-moon betta whose tailfin had been nick in half. At first, I concept I was mistaken, but, on close inspection, I became 100% determined that I was looking at a mutilated veiltail. The position, contour and drop of his “two” tails were completely inconsistent with any double-tail betta I'd ever seen. The ridges of the tails looked obviously scarred.
Clearly, someone– the breeder? distributor? sales associate? manager? — had mutilated this betta to increase its dollar-value. While veiltail males are a dime a dozen, Petco sells male double-tail bettas for at least $15 each. Because there were no other “double-tail” bettas in the Petco I visited, I'm not sure if this is the store's typical practice or just an overlooked fluke of dishonesty.
There's also a slim possibility that this wasn't an act of deception, but a mistake. Some bettas may be injured when they are captured in nets, moved and transported. If someone along the way noticed a “veiltail” label on what looked like a double-tailed fish, he might have simply made an error and replaced it with a label that seemed more suited.
Regardless of who is at fault, it is unacceptable for Petco to mis-represent their bettas. Mutilation for profit not only harms the animal, but also deceives the consumer. If you visit a Petco in your place and behold that any of their double-tail bettas are actually mutated veiltails, demand to swear with a manager. If the practice is commonplace for the corporation, it's critical that consumers hold action and speak out against it.
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Filed under Entirely Pets by on Jan 15th, 2012. 