Pet Shop Owner Fined for selling fish to minor

[Uhuru]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/mar/3...d-over-goldfish

 

Pet shop owner fined £1,000 for selling goldfish to teenager

UK - Woman put under home curfew after undercover 'sting', court told

 

Shop owners suspected of selling alcohol and cigarettes to underage customers have long been the target of "stings" by trading standards officials. But now a pet shop business has fallen foul of animal welfare laws by selling a goldfish to a 14-year-old boy.

 

He was sent in to make a test purchase by council staff investigating a complaint that the shop had previously sold a gerbil to a girl with learning difficulties who put it in a cup of coffee. The rodent subsequently died.

 

The teenage undercover agent bought the fish in Major Pets in Sale, Greater Manchester, without being questioned or given any information about its care. An animal welfare officer also found a cockatiel in the shop that was in such distress it had to be put down.

 

The shop owner Joan Higgins and her son Mark yesterday pleaded guilty at Trafford magistrates court to causing unnecessary suffering ...

[seabass]

He was sent in to make a test purchase by council staff investigating a complaint that the shop had previously sold a gerbil to a girl with learning difficulties...

Should we give IQ tests to determine if someone has the sense to purchase goods and services?

 

I get the idea (when it comes to living animals) of having younger minors accompanied by an adult. However, we have lots of teenage reef keepers on our site; and keeping a goldfish is pretty easy in comparison.

 

How far do they want to take this? Is a child qualified to purchase candy on their own? After all, candy is bad for them.

[miniwhinny]

Thank god we live in America and not England where you need permission from the powers that be to get dressed lol. This should be a lesson to all of us on what can happen when we let the government rule our lives and do our thinking.

 

I'm all for protecting animals but that's not what this is about...it's about big brother telling us they know better than we do.

[JerseyChick]

Should we give IQ tests to determine if someone has the sense to purchase goods and services?

 

 

IQ tests before having a reef tank would be awesome (sorry off topic but just read the EMERGENCY thread and am still upset at their actions)

[tmhasara]

He was sent in to make a test purchase by council staff investigating a complaint that the shop had previously sold a gerbil to a girl with learning difficulties who put it in a cup of coffee. The rodent subsequently died.

 

LOL.

[StevieT]

I was in a LFS a few weeks ago, they will not sell to anyone under 18

[???? ???????]

thats the uk for you.

 

we are headed that direction too, especially california.

[Trogdor447]

I was in a LFS a few weeks ago, they will not sell to anyone under 18

 

I will give a +1 on this subject here... For MINORS.. however as soon as you have a drivers license and can make it to the damn fish store on your own. You have accepted all responsibility in buying a fish.

 

 

Next up we are going to get disclaimers when buying fish food FFS. Warning feeding too much will kill things..

[Jakesaw]

How many goldfish will he have to sell to make up that $1,000 Euro fine

 

[Dani3d]

And driving! Here about 80% of the people driving are too dumb to drive.

 

No wonder we are the only part of North America (Quebec) where making a right turn on a red ligth is not permitted, and for good reasons.

 

 

 

IQ tests before having a reef tank would be awesome (sorry off topic but just read the EMERGENCY thread and am still upset at their actions)