TikToker ‘disgusted’ after finding box of live betta fish in dumpster at Idaho PetSmart - Idaho Statesman
A TikTok creator says she was disgusted by what she found after deciding to dumpster dive at her local PetSmart store in Idaho.
The creator says she had seen TikTok videos showing others searching through PetSmart dumpsters and finding full bags of dog food, dog collars, leashes and other items that could be donated.
So she decided to try it herself.
But instead of pet food, she says she found a crate of live betta fish tossed in the dumpster.
"This is our first time dumpster diving and we just found an entire box of live fish," TikToker @ugckatehahn32 says in a video posted to her account on May 14. "They've lost like half of their water, more than half. They're all alive. PetSmart literally threw them away."
The video shows the user, who goes by Kate in her bio, and her friend reaching inside the box to examine the fish, which are packed in individual containers of vibrant blue water.
Most of the containers are less than halfway full, with some appearing to have less than an inch of water. One container appears virtually empty with a betta fish sitting against the bottom of the empty container.
PetSmart did not immediately respond to McClatchy News' request for comment. In a statement to Fox 5, PetSmart said it was a mistake.
"This was an isolated incident, made in error, which we sincerely regret," the statement says. "We are using this incident to reinforce our industry-leading pet care standards with our team to ensure we remain the trusted partner to pet parents and pets."
In a follow up video, Kate says other TikTok users said the water is blue from liquid oxygen used when transporting fish.
"I found this box and it says 'live fish,' bold letters," she says in the follow-up video. "This was the last thing I expected. I seriously was at a loss of words. I opened the box and it's just all these betta fish, alive."
Kate says the box was labeled May 10, remarking that "these fish had been in there for three days, almost four days and I was like how are they even still alive?"
Kate says she pulled up to the front of the store and flagged down employees who were locking up and heading toward their cars. They appeared shocked, she says.
An employee contacted a manager and took the fish home with them so they could bring them back when they opened the store the next day, Kate says.
In 2021, PetSmart was accused of throwing live hamsters and a bird in the trash in Ohio and Pennsylvania after dumpster divers found them, The Independent reported.
As for Kate, she says she believes it could have been a mistake.
"I hope that they take it seriously," she says, "and whoever made the mistake is let go because that's not just a mistake that I think should be overlooked."
This story was originally published May 18, 2023, 6:01 AM.
Brooke (she/them) is a McClatchy Real-Time reporter who covers LGBTQ+ entertainment news and national parks out west. They studied journalism at the University of Florida, and previously covered LGBTQ+ news for the South Florida Sun Sentinel. When they're not writing stories, they enjoy hanging out with their cats, riding horses or spending time outdoors.
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